Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksSmart Bitches, Trashy Books ([syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-07-31 03:30 pm

Horror, Sherry Thomas, & More

Posted by Amanda

Pride and Protest

Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne is $1.99! We featured this on a previous Hide Your Wallet. Payne has another contemporary, Jane Austen retelling: Sex, Lies and Sensibility.

A Phenomenal Book Club pick for November 2022!

A woman goes head-to-head with the CEO of a corporation threatening to destroy her neighborhood in this fresh and modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice by debut author Nikki Payne.

Liza B.—the only DJ who gives a jam—wants to take her neighborhood back from the soulless property developer dropping unaffordable condos on every street corner in DC. But her planned protest at a corporate event takes a turn after she mistakes the smoldering-hot CEO for the waitstaff. When they go toe-to-toe, the sparks fly—but her impossible-to-ignore family thwarts her every move. Liza wants Dorsey Fitzgerald out of her hood, but she’ll settle for getting him out of her head.

At first, Dorsey writes off Liza Bennett as more interested in performing outrage than acting on it. As the adopted Filipino son of a wealthy white family, he’s always felt a bit out of place and knows a fraud when he sees one. But when Liza’s protest results in a viral meme, their lives are turned upside down, and Dorsey comes to realize this irresistible revolutionary is the most real woman he’s ever met.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

A Study in Scarlet Women

RECOMMENDED: A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas is $1.99! Both Sarah and Carrie read this book and enjoyed it.

Sarah gave it a B+:  I haven’t shut up about this book since I finished it. My outbound text messages are mostly hollering, squeeing, and long strings of vowels about this book.

I’m so excited this book exists. I’m so excited that I got to read it. I’m so excited there will be more.

Carrie gave it B: I can’t WAIT to find out what Charlotte, Livia, and Mrs. Watson are up to. I hope it involves them being protective of each other, empowering, and smart. The excitement is palpable!

USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas turns the story of the renowned Sherlock Holmes upside down…

With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society.  But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London.

When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old—a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her. But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Crash Landing

Crash Landing by Annie McQuaid is $1.99! This is a second chance romance where the main couple is stranded on an island. I was meh on this one; lots of danger boner adjacent scenes. Example: right after crashing, the heroine is already thinking about how hot the hero is. GIRL, YOU HAVE A HEAD INJURY AND YOU JUST CRASHED ON AN ISLAND.

A funny and heartwarming debut romance about two exes forced to reunite when a plane crash leaves them stranded on a deserted island.

Piper Adams is completely, totally, one hundred percent over Wyatt, the former love of her life. At least, that’s what she tells herself. After he broke her heart, she stopped taking risks and focused instead on building a perfect—and perfectly safe—life. But bumping into Wyatt at the airport on the way to her best friend’s destination wedding wasn’t part of the plan. Neither was a canceled flight nor Wyatt’s offer of a ride on the tiny plane he’s flying to attend the same event. Desperate to make it on time, she accepts his offer, but things go from awkward to full-blown nightmare when their plane crashes in the Caribbean, stranding Piper on a deserted island with the last person she ever wanted to see again.

At first, rule-following Piper clashes with adventure-driven Wyatt, but as the days tick by, she can see the boy she once loved has grown into a man. A man who makes her laugh, knows his way around a fire, and is annoyingly hot shirtless. A man she could love again. As the chemistry still simmering between them boils over, Piper begins wishing Wyatt was more than just a survival partner. But for their love to survive a second chance, she’ll have to not only trust Wyatt again, but also learn to trust herself and find the courage to let go of her carefully curated life for the chance at something far greater—if they can survive the island long enough for rescue.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

My Best Friend’s Exorcism

RECOMMENDEDMy Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix is $2.99! Carrie reviewed this and gave it a B+:

This particular horror story is a love letter to the 1980s and to the power of friendship between women. The ending is very awesome. But also very gross, so be prepared.

Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fifth grade, when they bonded over a shared love of E.T., roller-skating parties, and scratch-and-sniff stickers. But when they arrive at high school, things change. Gretchen begins to act . . . different. And as the strange coincidences and bizarre behavior start to pile up, Abby realizes there’s only one possible explanation: Gretchen, her favorite person in the world, has a demon living inside her. And Abby is not about to let anyone or anything come between her and her best friend. With help from some unlikely allies, Abby embarks on a quest to save Gretchen. But is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

iamrman: (Default)
iamrman ([personal profile] iamrman) wrote in [community profile] scans_daily2025-07-31 02:29 pm

New Mutants #30

Writer: Chris Claremont

Pencils and inks: Bill Sienkiewicz


The New Mutants mount a rescue with the aid of Kitty and Rachel.


Read more... )

iamrman: (Power)
iamrman ([personal profile] iamrman) wrote in [community profile] scans_daily2025-07-31 12:35 pm

Mister Miracle #18

Words and pencils: Jack Kirby

Inks: Mike Royer


The entire Fourth World crashes Scott and Barda's wedding.


Read more... )

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reviews_and_ramblings ([personal profile] reviews_and_ramblings) wrote2025-07-31 12:35 pm
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Under the Moonlight by chada

 

As the formidable vampire lord, Ayla is more than capable of concocting whatever evil schemes he desires. But he would much rather spend his time gallivanting across the continent causing trouble for both demons and humans alike. Which is why even after he’s finally returned home after 17 years, he’s delighted to be greeted by a dark aggressive assassin out for his neck rather than peace and quiet. However, upon closer look, Ayla discovers something much more unexpected about this mystery man. The first is that he’s been hypnotized, and the second is…this man’s body is completely Ayla’s type!

My Rate: 8 (www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/under_moonlight)

It's pretty clear that this was supposed to be a longer manhwa, but for some reason the author stopped at only seven chapters. There is a lot still to be said, and it's a pity since the story was really funny and sexy. The graphic too was nice, and it was mixing two of my favorite thropes, vampires and comedy.

iamrman: (Squirrel Girl)
iamrman ([personal profile] iamrman) wrote in [community profile] scans_daily2025-07-31 10:30 am

Ka-Zar #9

Writer: Mark Waid

Pencils: Andy Kubert

Inks: Jesse Delperdang


Shanna comes face-to-face with Parnival’s true master.


Read more... )

Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksSmart Bitches, Trashy Books ([syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-07-31 08:00 am

SBTB 2025 Summer Romance Bingo Check-In

Posted by Amanda

Hey all! We’re about halfway through our SBTB 2025 Romance Bingo card!

By now, you might have knocked out a few easier spaces, but if you’re having trouble, we’re here to help!

I’m doing my best to just get a single bingo this year and if you’re curious about my own card, here it is:

If it’s hard to see, here’s what my squares are:

Cover without any peopleKing of Wrath by Ana Huang
Scene or plot with inclement weatherThe Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George
Book that received a B+ or higher on SBTBThe Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George
First book in a seriesHooked by Emily McIntire
Left at the altarRuthless Creatures by J.T. Geissinger
Main couple who are 30+Sunny Side Up by Katie Sturino
Class differencesCarnal Urges by J.T. Geissinger

Below are some resources or recommendations you can use to fill more specific squares. And of course, I encourage you to brainstorm in the comments.

For trope-specific squares, check out our Book Finder! Most of these tropes have tags in the Book Finder. Using the Book Finder will show you any books we have ever mentioned on the site:

(note: it only shows 150 entries and we have over 13K books in the finder, so definitely play around with tropes/archetype to find titles that skew more toward your tastes.)

Other resources and tips:

How is your bingo card looking? Are there any squares you’re struggling with? Let us know so we can help!

Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksSmart Bitches, Trashy Books ([syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-07-30 06:00 pm

Links: Gaming, Events, & More

Posted by Amanda

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

Anyone else ready for the weekend? The last couple weeks have been busier than usual with social obligations and errands, and I’m ready to be a hermit!

For all my gamers, there’s going to be a Nintendo Direct tomorrow (6am PT/9am ET). Rumors are there may be an Animal Crossing announcement, and possible a release date for Hades II (though I’ve been playing early access and it’s fantastic).

What are your weekend plans?

This link comes from Barb for any romance readers in the Toronto area. The Toronto Public Library is hosting a romance lit festival from August 21-24. I believe the event is free, though they encourage registering for specific events as space is limited.

The site is featured and quoted in an academic article about genres and libraries!

From Deborah Tomaras, Librarian at Marist University:

I can finally send you the link to the published article on patrons, genres and libraries, available as open access here.

Fair warning that it’s very long, and very focused on genres in libraries and library genre vocabularies, particularly the Library of Congress’ Genre/Form Terms vocabulary (LCGFT).

The nutshell version is: patrons look for works of interest in library catalogs, using in-depth knowledge and terminology for subgenres also used and understood by publishers, review sites, social media communities, authors, etc.; and wouldn’t it be nice if library genre vocabularies could use those terms too?

This news was put on our radar by Cleo and Lisa. Itch.io, “open marketplace for independent digital creators with a focus on independent video games,” has removed all NSFW games from their store pages and search results.

It seems like the aim, according to Itch.io, is to ban specific themes like SA, underage content, and beastiality, but NSFW bans also have a habit of sweeping up LGBTQIA+ content and any sexual content altogether, even if it doesn’t fall within their list of concerning topics.

You can find methods of fighting the ban here.

You can read Itch.io’s official statement here.

If you’ve been swept up in the American Eagle ad campaign drama, romance author and cultural anthropologist Nikki Payne has an amazing Substack on the link between our TBR piles and the vision of a white utopia.

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!

ldybastet: (Togainu - Kau)
ldybastet ([personal profile] ldybastet) wrote in [community profile] anime_manga2025-07-30 08:21 pm

Peacock Pride [Arbitro/Akira; R]

Title: Peacock Pride
Fandom/Pairing: Togainu no Chi - Arbitro/Akira
Summary: Akira has had the bad fortune of getting captured by Arbitro.
Rating: R
Content: Canon-compliant awfulness, loss of consciousness, kidnapping, non-con...
Disclaimer: Togainu no Chi and all the characters in it are owned by Nitro+CHiRAL. I'm only borrowing them. No disrespect intended and I'm not earning any money from writing this. No people, either real or fictional, were hurt in the writing of this story.
Notes: 400+ words. Written for the prompt them's the breaks, but this is what it turned into. Many thanks to [personal profile] zabimitsuki for beta-reading this for me, as well as cheering me on! :)

Read it here: DW | AO3
reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
reviews_and_ramblings ([personal profile] reviews_and_ramblings) wrote2025-07-30 08:17 pm
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Two Guys at the Vet Clinic by Shinonome

 

A rescued kitten brings two men together in this sweet Boys’ Love manga.

Takaba, a veterinary student, finds a stray cat that needs help and rushes it to an animal hospital...where he falls in love at first sight with Baba, the director. Trying to get closer to him, Takaba gets a job there, and Baba's flirtatious behavior inflames his feelings till he can no longer repress them... A slow burn age-gap BL story about a straightforward younger veterinarian and his complicated boss!

My Rate: 7 (amzn.to/4oboDsK)
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reviews_and_ramblings ([personal profile] reviews_and_ramblings) wrote2025-07-30 08:09 pm
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The Desert Butterfly Yearns to Be Caught by Kaede Yuunami

 

Seto, the young head of a desert country, was restless and dissatisfied. Even when he wanted to enjoy a night out, his personal bodyguard Kyle was too controlling.

As lord of a thriving desert country, 
Seth is responsible for the prosperity and protection of his people... even if that means occasionally putting himself at risk. Fortunately, Seth's bodyguard, Kyle, is ready to yank his master out of harm's way... whether Seth likes it or not.

In the decade since Seth bought him out of servitude, Kyle has become a dogged, dedicated (obsessive, overbearing) bodyguard, willing to sacrifice everything for the safety of his master. Seth, however, resents feeling caged by Kyle's constant controlling attentions...

When Kyle finally crosses the line, will it be enough to capture his master's heart...?

My Rate: 7 (amzn.to/4l869qh)
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reviews_and_ramblings ([personal profile] reviews_and_ramblings) wrote2025-07-30 08:05 pm
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Prince of Recipes by Junko

 

Kei, a passionate chef-in-training, suddenly finds himself living under one chaotic roof with three complete strangers.

On move-in day, he walks into a disaster of a house. Unable to ignore the mess, he starts cleaning, cooks up a storm and soon wins over both the hearts and appetites of his new housemates.

But just as things begin to settle, a sleepy and dangerously handsome Shohei wanders into Kei's bed and kisses him by mistake.

With love, mishaps, and plenty of delicious meals, life in this all-male household is anything but ordinary!


Includes exclusive bonus content!

My Rate: 8 (amzn.to/456GBUI)
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reviews_and_ramblings ([personal profile] reviews_and_ramblings) wrote2025-07-30 08:02 pm
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Nomi x Shiba by Tohru Tagura

 

Drip, drip, droppity drop―after a slippery, steamy confession, it’s only the beginning for Nomiya and Mikoshiba! Still, now that he has permission to actually touch the guy he’s been not-so-secretly panting after, Nomiya’s not sure his heart can take Mikoshiba’s killer cuteness…

My Rate: 8 (amzn.to/45kuuDM)

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reviews_and_ramblings ([personal profile] reviews_and_ramblings) wrote2025-07-30 07:55 pm
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Lion Hearts by Mita Ori

 

A sweet Boys’ Love story about young love and how it can withstand the test of time.

As children, Shishimaru and Leo were inseparable. Shi-chan was so infatuated with Leo that he proposed to him! But as the years went by, they grew up and parted ways--until ten years later, when the two reunite. Have their feelings remained or have they been apart for too long?

From the creator of 
Our Dining Table!

My Rate: 8 (amzn.to/4l3pFV6)
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reviews_and_ramblings ([personal profile] reviews_and_ramblings) wrote2025-07-30 07:48 pm
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Fill Me With Love by Mataaki Kureno

 

Kippei is always doting on and showing his affection for Munechika. He tousles his hair, feeds him snacks, and gives him secret kisses in the hallway... Everyone is afraid of Munechika’s demeanor, but Kippei finds him cute and adorable. Kippei even studied like crazy just to get into the same college as Munechika. But then one day, Munechika suddenly starts acting cold towards Kippei...?

My Rate: 7 (amzn.to/4lSkI2r)

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reviews_and_ramblings ([personal profile] reviews_and_ramblings) wrote2025-07-30 07:38 pm
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Ennead by Mojito

 

The full-color Boys’ Love webtoon hit inspired by ancient Egyptian mythology!

Nine powerful gods of ancient Egypt form the Ennead. When the god of war, Seth, kills his brother Osiris and takes over Egypt, he ushers in an era of chaos and cruelty. Centuries later, a new challenger appears: Horus, the child of Isis. Horus is not yet a full god, but he has the support of other deities to dethrone Seth. The conflict between Seth and Horus that begins as a series of trials warps into a complex web of deceit, obsession...and desire. This hit Boys’ Love webtoon is a reimagining of one of the oldest myths in human civilization!

This hit Boys’ Love webtoon–a dramatic fantasy epic–is a reimagining of one of the oldest myths in human civilization. Already available in multiple languages to fans around the world, this is the very first time the graphic novel series will be printed in English, presented in beautiful full-color editions in an oversized trim! Seven Seas will release two versions of the series, which were originally drawn for different audiences: a paperback version rated Older Teen, and a deluxe hardcover version rated Mature.

My Rate: 8 (amzn.to/45gGzcV)

reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
reviews_and_ramblings ([personal profile] reviews_and_ramblings) wrote2025-07-30 07:35 pm

Cute but Not Cute by Senmu Sakishita

 

Keiichi Hozumi (30) is a perfect man who has been blessed with everything. The company he started is going well, his private life is very fulfilling, and everything in life is as he pleases. Except for one thing: he is extremely lonely.

Keiichi Hozumi has it all: the looks, the charm, the flashy CEO status... the only thing missing is a single shred of self-sufficiency. Not a problem, though— Hozumi's assistant and long-time friend, Ibuki, has got it covered!
When Hozumi's endless string of one-night stands suddenly falls through, Ibuki is there to tend to ALL of his boss's needs. But once they've crossed that line, there's no turning back... especially since Ibuki has spent the last eight years wanting Hozumi all to himself.
What happens when an insufferable rich kid and his steely sidekick start hooking up? Codependence never looked so 
cute! ...Yet, totally not cute.

My Rate: 8 (amzn.to/4mnywlC)