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SBTB 2026 Summer Romance Bingo

Grab your TBRs and get ready for Summer Solstice on June 21!

The May 1996 Romantic Times Covers are Glorious

Smart Podcast Trashy Books Romantic Times Rewind

There are so many visual aids for the May 1996 Ads & Features episode of RT Rewind that I had to make a special post just for the glorious art. Got some snacks? A nice drink? And if you’re in Europe, an ice water bathtub? (I’m thinking of y’all. I hope the heat breaks soon.) Let’s go back to May 1996! The cover of the magazine is truly one of the greatest we’ve looked at. … Continue reading The May 1996 Romantic Times Covers are Glorious

Friday Videos Love Covers

Friday Videos Love Covers

Happy First Friday of Summer! Or, if you’re in the souther hemisphere, Happy Winter and Cozy Season! It’s either blankets or bug spray, your choice. I hope you have lovely plans ahead of you, and lots of pleasant weather to enjoy, regardless of season. I have no sense of time whatsoever. The passage of time is meaningless (5 minutes? 5 hours? Couldn’t tell you) and the existence of time as a concept is an eternal … Continue reading Friday Videos Love Covers

Podcast

724. RT Rewind: May 1996 Ads & Features

The time machine is all charged up, and we’re headed back to May 1996 to take a look at the ads & features from Romantic Times magazine. It’s the late 90s, so you know that means Incredible Cover Art. We also discover just how much creepy stuff Amanda owns currently, debates about babies in romance, cheap conference hotel rooms, woman flamingos, and incredible women heroines. I don’t know if you’re a video watcher, but the … Continue reading 724. RT Rewind: May 1996 Ads & Features

Book Review

Shattered Gods by Katee Robert

Shattered Gods

We are here, the end of the series. It’s been a fun time. But did the final climax (i.e. this book) live up to the promised drama suggested in the preceding books? I made a critical error with this installment. I’ve been more active on social media lately and I let myself get swept up by the hype around Shattered Gods so my hopes were impossibly high. It is a very rare story that can … Continue reading Shattered Gods by Katee Robert

The Rec League: Alien Romances

The Rec League - heart shaped chocolate resting on the edge of a very old book

This request comes from Nuria as part of a recent HaBO. They are specifically looking for alien romance recommendations where the alien character feels truly alien, and not necessarily humans with a different paintjob. Amanda: Obviously Strange Love by Ann Aguirre. Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell kinda of works. The monster is a shapeshifter and has a humanoid form made out of the remains of her meals, but it’s true form … Continue reading The Rec League: Alien Romances

After Dark at the Movies: The Rocketeer

Featured image for After Dark at the Movies: The Rocketeer

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 … Continue reading After Dark at the Movies: The Rocketeer

Links: Magic School Bus, Hench, & More

An illustrated image of a desk space with a computer, stack of books, reading glasses, and a mug.

Welcome back, everyone! Now that the baby news is out of the way, I can openly complain about all the weird stuff my body does now. The worst of it is having a perpetually awful taste in my mouth. That’s been my least favorite. My highlight in the last week is buying a giant pack of Hawaiian Sweet Rolls as Costco and picking up a tub of Texas Roadhouse cinnamon honey butter. Has there ever … Continue reading Links: Magic School Bus, Hench, & More

Help A Bitch Out

HaBO: She’s Delivering Pastries to a House Party

This HaBO comes from Peace, who wants to find this romance: Vintage Harlequin/Mills & Boon Style Romance set in England – Heroine is a blonde baker/caterer, wrong-bed-leading-to-pregnancy trope. I’ve been looking for this romance novel for years and really need help finding it! I might have muddled up a few details. Bear with me! – Setting: England. – Timeline: Likely late 90s, 2000s, or early 2010s (classic Harlequin Presents / Mills & Boon style). – … Continue reading HaBO: She’s Delivering Pastries to a House Party

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