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Posted by Guest Reviewer

B+

Lilac Ghost

by Irene Saylor
January 1, 1972 · Bantam
GothicRomance

This guest review comes from Lucynka! Lucynka is a long-time lurker, who has occasionally commented under a couple different names in the past. Over the last few years, she’s become really interested in the history of the romance genre, particularly those forgotten or oft-overlooked parts. You can find her on Bluesky @lucynka.bsky.social, or else over on her WordPress, where she blogs about “obscure bullshit,” including a lot of romance pulp magazines from the 1920s-’40s.

First of all, a big thanks to Heather S and her Half Price Books excursion for putting this book on my radar. While all of the books featured in that post were solid gold in their own ways, The Lilac Ghost caught my eye specifically because 1.) that is indeed a very pretty cover, and 2.) who doesn’t love a ghost? The (even briefer) cover copy for the 1972 reprint even promised that it was “a very romantic ghost”!

Combine that with the fact that I was having A Week™, and, well, I decided to take a chance and treat myself to the more reasonably-priced of two copies that I managed to find online. These vintage Gothics tend to come in one of three flavors—good, bad, or bonkers—so even though 1970 is actually way later than my usual wheelhouse, I was in need of a nice mental distraction, and thus hoped that even if it wasn’t good, it would at least fall into that “bonkers” territory.

And readers? To my delight, it was about 50% bonkers, 50% genuinely good and suspenseful, and 100% entertaining. And just in case you need a refresher before we dive in, the cover copy:

After a whirlwind courtship at sea, Virginia had married Rick Bradley and gone with him to his ancestral home, an isolated house perched on the peak of a mountain and shunned by villagers and tradesmen. Now, after three weeks, Rick had gone off without warning, leaving his wife alone in a raging storm, with no company save a few women and the lilac ghost of Bradley Hall. And the ghost which walked the garden by the lilac bush was hardly reassuring.

My favorite part of The Lilac Ghost is probably the beginning, as the author wastes no time and just throws you right into the deep end.

Do we get a chapter showing the heroine’s “whirlwind courtship”?

Do we even get a scene where Virginia discovers her husband’s note, unceremoniously letting her know that he had to disappear on Sudden Business™?

NO! Straight away, they’re already married, he’s already left, and the wind is already howling as Virginia writes a letter to her twin sister, Carol. (Yesss, Ms. Saylor! Give the readers what they want!)

Now, much like Chekhov’s Gun, I’m a firm believer in the idea that if you introduce a twin in a story, they’d better metaphorically go off at some point. As such, I am pleased to report that sister Carol does indeed go off later. But also…

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…the fact that she’s Virginia’s identical twin never really factors into anything? Like, there’s a token scene where another character is like, “WTF, Virginia—I just saw you in a bar an hour ago!” presumably to foreshadow to the reader that something might be up, but that’s it.

Carol never impersonates Virginia, nor does Virginia ever get mistaken for Carol and thus get told something she wasn’t supposed to know, etc. There is effectively nothing to stop them from just being plain, regular-degular sisters, and the story might even make more sense if they didn’t look exactly the same?

The fact that the author was still like, “NAH, IT’S TWIN TIME, BABY,” in the face of all this is a move I kind of have to respect.

Anyway, Virginia’s writing a letter to her sister, but a storm is raging! The wind blows the fancy French doors of the library open, and as she gets up to close them, she’s distracted by a lightning strike and a subsequent flash of fire in the distance, down the mountainside. Will she and the three maids, and Rick’s unmarried aunt Cordelia, have to abandon the mansion and flee for their lives???

Heads up - Mild flashing lights on this gif

a loop of a thunderstorm above some trees with lightning flashing

No! Because just then “a strong, wiry, muscular, masculine hand” grabs her wrist, pulls her out onto the terrace, into a man’s arms, and he kisses her!

It’s Rick!

But no—Rick never kissed her so passionately, so possessively, and Rick has green eyes, not blue! Who the fuck is this ardent stranger who looks so uncannily like her husband???

The man is “mocking” and “satiric,” all, “Didn’t they tell you about me, Virginia~? Aren’t you going to invite Rick’s favorite cousin in before he catches pneumonia~?” He’s giving off big “mad relative in the attic” vibes, and you, like me, might find yourself wondering, “Omg, is this the titular ‘ghost’???”

FOOLS! You, like me, would be wrong then, because just then the actual ghost appears! A spooky vision in white, out near the lilac bush, that disappears into the garden! Virginia uses the supernatural distraction to get away from this sexy, frightening stranger, and—not trusting that he’s necessarily who he says he is—locks the French doors against him. She then sensibly realizes that this potential madman isn’t likely to give up so easily, and she manages to get the front door bolted just in time to thwart him. He pounds on the door as Virginia tries to think of any other possible entrances she needs to shore up, but then there’s a thud and a woman’s scream that reverberates from the second floor. For reference, we are a mere seven pages into this book.

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Catherine O'Hara in Schitt's Creek says Things are certainly racing alone at a dangerously rapid velocity

Chapter two opens with the line, “I charged up the stairs like a woman zeroing in on a nylon stocking bargain day sale”—which is admittedly not as good as, “Kaliq dismounted with the same speed and grace as he would remove himself from the body of a woman he had just made love to,” but it’s still pretty up there, imo.

Virginia checks on Aunt Cordelia, only to find her so sound asleep she’s damn near comically snoring, which means the scream probably came from the maids’ quarters. As Virginia makes her way toward them, however, she sees a flash of white around a corner. Omg, the ghost is now inside!

Virginia, herself, screams, at which point two of the maids come running—senior maid Rilla and subordinate Suz. We then get this fantastically dumb and melodramatic exchange:

“The ghost walks!” I burst out.

Suz clutched at Rilla’s arm. “She always walks when death strikes!”

“Be still!” Rilla snapped.

The maid’s frightening words somehow had the effect of bringing me to my senses. I straightened.

“There are no ghosts,” I said in my no-nonsense secretarial tone of voice.

BITCH, YOU LITERALLY JUST SAID IT WALKS. PICK A LANE, VIRGINIA.

Anyway, it’s determined that the initial scream came from Kathy, the youngest maid. She saw the ghost, screamed and sprained her ankle in her ensuing panic, and now she’s sobbing her heart out as only a sixteen-year-old girl can, because she won’t be able to keep her date with a fella.

It turns out Kathy wrote a poem, got it published in a magazine, at which point an admirer of the poem wrote to her and they struck up a correspondence. They were supposed to finally meet at the railroad station tomorrow, as he’s coming in on an afternoon train, but now that plan’s obviously fucked.

Oh, and the guy’s name is supposedly Alan Dale (like Alan-a-Dale, from the tale of Robin Hood), and Kathy told him she’s the illegitimate daughter of an aristocratic family because she was ashamed of being a mere maid. Virginia is like, “Jfc, Kathy!”

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the KFC logo with renaissance Jesus' face and halo on top of colonel sanders, and instead of KFC it says JFC

I wished I could meet the man. I most certainly would give him a piece of my mind, trying to take advantage of a naive sixteen-year-old girl.

As an aside, we never find out exactly how old Virginia is (my guess is early- to mid-twenties?), but it’s worth noting that I actually quite like her as a heroine. She’s admittedly something of a cipher (she has a twin sister, worked as a secretary in a publishing house before her marriage, and that’s about all we ever learn of her), but she generally has a good, sensible head on her shoulders, which makes it pretty easy to root for her.

Her voice isn’t so distinct that the story really needed to be told from her first-person POV, but I at least never got tired of being literally stuck in her head, and while there are some irritatingly of-its-time gender politics at play, where Virginia feels it’s only right to defer to a man in certain situations, for the most part I feel she holds up relatively well to modern reading (see: the above situation with Kathy).

Anyway, with the upstairs drama having since been sorted out (Virginia decides she’ll meet Kathy’s mystery man at the train station herself tomorrow, to suss him out), and with the rain thankfully in the process of letting up, our heroine returns to the library to finish her letter to her sister. But there’s one loose end she forgot to tie up, and as such, she’s stopped dead in her tracks by the sight of her handsome terrace intruder casually sitting at her desk, seemingly waiting for her.

She’s like, “Holy shit, how did you get in?” and he merely lifts up some keys and says, “Through the front door.” It turns out he really is Rick’s cousin Jeff (the reactions of both Aunt Cordelia and the maids later confirm this), and he sets about to catching Virginia as she almost faints, then serves her some coffee while she recovers from everything that has happened since the first page.

Now, you might find yourself asking here: if Jeff had keys to the place and could get in at any time, then why the hell was he skulking around on the terrace in the rain, practically cackling like a madman, and the only answer I can give you is, “Idk, for drama???”

For that matter, why did he passionately smooch a woman he knew to be his cousin’s wife?

The explanation he gives is that Virginia “looked very kissable”—which is both a shit reason to effectively assault someone, and (as we’ll come to realize) strangely out of character, as well; for all that he was introduced like some crazy black sheep of the family, Jeff presents from here on out as a surprisingly normal and more or less respectful guy. I kept waiting for him to again get all handsy and kissy with Virginia as the book progressed, and to my amazement it never really happened.

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Well, not until the end, but that’s more of an understandable, heat-of-the-moment love confession than anything.

Well, Virginia smells lilacs, Jeff goes back outside to investigate, the lights go out, and the telephone starts ringing. It’s Rick! He tells her he’ll be home tomorrow evening, and then, after she hangs up, Virginia gets attacked, and it becomes apparent that the lilac ghost—or at least this particular manifestation of it—is corporeal, after all. Virginia manages a scream, the “ghost” goes running, the lights come back on, and it’s then that Jeff reappears, this time with sourpuss Aunt Cordelia.

As Rick clearly couldn’t be bothered to inform Virginia of the Greater Bradley Situation™ before fucking off, Jeff does her the favor and gets her up to speed. It’s here that we get the main thrust of the story, which (contrary to what the cover copy and the first couple chapters might have indicated) is not actually about melodramatic happenings in the middle of a storm, but is in fact all about inheritance issues.

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Indigo Montoya says let me explain...no there is too much, let me sum up

Basically, back in the day, Grandpa Bradley built the family fortune and had five children—three boys and two girls. Of the boys, oldest son Samuel begat Rick, and Nicholas begat Jeff.

Cordelia was the “good daughter,” with a head for business, who never married, and the other daughter Rosamunde was the wild one, the family beauty and flirt, who died under mysterious circumstances fifteen years ago: she was found at the bottom of the local waterfall with a broken neck, and while it was officially deemed an accident, there’s always been the lingering suspicion that she was pushed, either by a jealous lover or a disapproving family member. Supposedly the lilac ghost is Rosamunde’s spirit, looking for her murderer; she seems to show up every year in May, around the anniversary of her death.

There were rumors that Rosamunde might have had a child before she died, and so Grandpa in turn tied up her ten million dollar inheritance before he died, with the stipulation that if no heir was found within fifteen years, then the money would be divided among the remaining relatives. And, well, that fifteen year mark just passed, which is actually—as we later find out—related to why Rick had to leave so goddamn abruptly before the start of the story (and, coincidentally, why Jeff suddenly arrived).

Further complicating matters is that around the time of Rosamunde’s death, hitherto unmentioned third son Stan was like, “FUCK THIS FAMILY,” and ran away to sea. It is unknown whether he’s still alive, married, had any children, or whatever. And sure enough, glamorous Elaine and her teenage son Vern show up, claiming to be his widow and child, which would entitle them not only to Stan’s money, still sitting unused in a New York City bank, but to a quarter of Rosamunde’s.

It’s here that we get the legit good part of the book, as the story goes from being crazy, over-the-top Gothic shenanigans, and instead turns into a pretty solid and suspenseful mystery, as Virginia inadvertently finds herself roped into this mess as Rick’s legally wedded wife—or his potential widow, as the case may be. After all, the fewer surviving family members there are means there’s that much more money to go around, and clearly somebody is out for blood—the only question is who?

Furthermore, what about the lilac ghost?

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a cartoon sheet ghost waves its arms and hovers in a grey cave

Is it really Rosamunde’s spirit, trying to find her killer?

Someone simply taking advantage of the family legend for their own nefarious purposes?

Or is Rosamunde—somehow, miraculously—still alive and wreaking regular, non-paranormal vengeance?

So it’s good fun, with genuinely good pacing and misdirections, and it kept me genuinely riveted to the pages. I even…

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…started to wonder if Virginia (and by extension her sister) were actually related to the Bradleys. Like, they’re presumably too old to be Rosamunde’s child(ren), but for a while it was looking like they could maybe, unknowingly, be Stan’s? Did Rick marry his first cousin, perhaps on purpose in an attempt to consolidate the family wealth? (And consequently, does Jeff now have the hots not just for an in-law, but for an actual blood relation?) The story never actually goes down such weird, incestuous paths, but the fact that I wondered for a while if it would is a point in its favor, imo.

Where The Lilac Ghost falls down, however (or else goes back to being wonderfully, hilariously unhinged, depending on how you feel about these things), is the end:

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After Virginia, herself, gets thrown over the falls in an attempt to kill her, it’s revealed pretty much out of the blue that her sister Carol has been in cahoots with Rick for literal years. It was she who was playing the part of the lilac ghost and otherwise doing things behind the scenes—the idea being that they’d secure Rosamunde’s inheritance solely for Rick, and then marry, which would give Carol legal access to the Bradley millions.

Rick’s notorious womanizing ways and his suddenly getting married while on a cruise fucked that up, though—especially when it turned out that his new wife was Carol’s sister. This is where the whole twin thing really makes no sense, because you’d think Rick would have recognized the familial relation upon first meeting Virginia (SHE AND CAROL LITERALLY LOOK EXACTLY ALIKE), and thus would have, yanno, gotten a hold of his bad self and not married her?

Like, it really would be better for the narrative if they’d just been regular sisters, and Rick only realized the relation after the fact.

As for why Rick married Virginia in the first place? It’s never adequately explained, but Jeff surmises that he might have genuinely fallen in love with her, if only for a short while (and presumably been too arrogant to worry about how this might throw a wrench into his well-laid murder plans and also piss off his romantic partner-in-crime).

Furthermore…

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…Elaine turns out to be a red-herring, as it’s revealed she actually was Stan’s wife—it’s her “son,” Vern, who isn’t what he seems, as he’s actually Rosamunde’s long-lost love-child.

And the father? Elaine’s own father, Lew Whittaker, who runs the town general store and who was having an extra-marital affair with Rosamunde back in the day. Lew and his wife had been raising the boy as their own when Grandpa Bradley started searching for the kid, and rather than let him fall into this fucked-up rich family’s hands, Lew paid Elaine and Stan to take him away and care for him.

WHAT DRAMA, AMIRITE? Messy enough for Jerry Springer, for sure.

Oh, and also…

TW for suicide

…after the jig is up, Rick shoots himself rather than face charges, and this information is delivered so matter-of-factly at the start of the last chapter that I literally stopped and flipped back to make sure my copy wasn’t missing any pages.

Morticia Addams reads a book and then her eyes go VERY Wide and she looks shocked

So it isn’t perfect.

Technically-speaking, it has a weak end and some definite plot holes—one of my favorites being when Virginia finds a begonia plant in the hospital trash (it had been sent to Rick while he recovered from some injuries) and there’s mention of the card slipping between the outer paper and the pot; you expect that this card will later serve as some dramatic reveal, like maybe the name of the person who sent it will be important, but nope—the begonia plant gets metaphorically dropped and is never returned to. (*Muah* chef’s kiss, I love it.)

But for all its arguable flaws, I do think the good outweighs the bad here—or at least the entertaining outweighs the irritating. (It kept me obsessively turning the pages, so clearly it was doing something right, yeah?) Like most of these vintage Gothics, the emphasis is on the mystery and suspense far more than the romance (the romance is effectively reduced to a subplot), but as a subplot it worked for me, and—weak end aside—I’d still dub it an above-average example of its subgenre.

Unfortunately, it seems to be a pretty hard title to come by these days, but if it sounds like your jam and you happen to run across a copy in the wild, I do indeed recommend picking it up.

 

Your Wednesday Watermelon Report

Jul. 2nd, 2025 07:50 pm
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Posted by Athena Scalzi

Whilst I was perusing the produce section at Kroger last week, I came across a watermelon. Not just any watermelon, though. Private Selection’s “Black Diamond” watermelons. I figured since y’all seemed to enjoy my orange review, you might want the skinny on this here watermelon, as well:

A watermelon with a big label sticker on it that reads

Unlike the Sugar Gem oranges, this watermelon was sweeter than a regular ol’ watermelon. Not only that, but the label boasts a rich, red flesh. I thought it may have been all talk, but lo and behold it was indeed very red! I bought this one for six dollars, which is pretty much the exact same cost as a regular watermelon, and it’s roughly the same size, so I’d say you should go ahead and buy this one over the regular ones if you are someone who prefers a juicier, sweeter watermelon.

I served this watermelon to my parents, both of whom do not particularly care for watermelon, and they made a point of telling me how good this particular watermelon was and ended up eating a good bit of it when normally they probably wouldn’t have opted for any watermelon at all.

With the 4th approaching this weekend, I assume many of y’all will want to pick up a watermelon, and I think if your Kroger has these ones lying around you should give it a try! I’ve been meaning to buy another one because it’s the perfect refreshing snack during this recent heat wave.

It’s nice to try something new and actually have a good experience with it. Those Sugar Gem oranges may have been a bust, but this Black Diamond Watermelon is definitely a winner in my book.

Do you like watermelon? If you don’t, would you be willing to give this one a try based on my parents’ reaction to it? Do you have fun plans for the 4th? Let me know in the comments, and have a great day!

-AMS

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Posted by Amanda

Workspace with computer, journal, books, coffee, and glasses.Welcome back, everyone! How are we feeling this Wednesday?

We’ve had a bit of a shakeup in the household and I’m putting things in spoilers as it deals with pet health.

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We took our oldest cat, Linus, to the emergency vet on Monday evening for a nosebleed. Results came back that he most likely has a tumor in his nose. We’re putting him on steroids, but the vet was clear that his expectancy is months if he reacts well to the steroids and weeks if not.

While he’s nearly eighteen, this wasn’t what we expected to hear. Linus is also the first pet I had as an adult, so impending pet loss and arrangements are new to me. We also think our pets are going to live forever.

The initial shock and frequent crying has tapered off a bit, but this is uncharted territory for me.

For those who have been in a similar situation, please share your wisdom! Because wow, it sucks.

If you want to put your comments in a spoiler tag, you’ll want to put your comments between these tags and remove the asterisks. [*spoiler]text goes here[*/spoiler] If it isn’t working, don’t worry. I can fix it on my end!

Georgia shared this link on England’s first romance-only bookstore. If any of you make a trip to Saucy Books, please report back!

I’m loving this trend of people showing off their partner’s hobbies on social media with aggressive support.

This link comes from K, who shared this talented craftsman addressing comments on masculinity.

If you didn’t hear, Steve Burns from Blue’s Clues is launching a podcast!

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!

Sonali Dev, Bridgerton, & More

Jul. 2nd, 2025 03:30 pm
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Posted by Amanda

Molly Molloy & the Angel of Death

Molly Molloy & the Angel of Death by Maria Vale is 99c! I highly suggest listening to the podcast we did with Maria on this book. She explains it well that this isn’t a romance per se

Death needs a do-over.

Azrael—grim reaper and devourer of worlds–has messed up. Instead of taking Molly Molloy’s soul, he patted her on the back and saved her from choking on an atomic chicken wing.

Now she can see him. Talk to him. Touch him. Say ‘no’ to him. And make him question the assumptions he has held for an eternity.

Molly is sick of Death capsizing her life. He’d taken her parents, then her grandparents, then her first great love.

Now, just as she was on the verge of getting her life together with a job that paid enough and a NYC apartment that didn’t cost too much, Death interferes again in ways she could never have imagined.

The Powers that Be want Azrael to fix his mistake but before he can, Death makes one more.

He falls in love.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Forget Me Not

Forget Met Not by Julie Soto is $1.99! This was Soto’s contemporary romance debut and I mentioned it on a previous Hide Your Wallet. I liked this one! The book does switch between past and current events to show more of the main couple’s previous history, but I understand it could be a jarring format for the reader.

An ambitious wedding planner must work with her grumpy florist ex, whose heart she broke, on the most high-profile wedding of her career, in this spicy and emotional romance from popular fanfic author Julie Soto.

He loves me; he loves me not…

Ama Torres loves being a wedding planner. But with a mother who has been married more times than you can count on your fingers, Ama has decided that marriage is not the route for her. But weddings? Weddings are amazing. As a small business owner, she knows how to match her clients with the perfect vendor to give them the wedding of their dreams. Well, almost perfect…

Elliot hates being a florist, most of the time. When his father left him the flower shop, he considered it a burden, but he’s stuck with it. Just like how he’s stuck with the way he proposed to Ama, his main collaborator and girlfriend (or was she?) two years ago. But flowers have grown on him, just like Ama did. And flowers can’t run off and never speak to him again, like Ama did.

When Ama is hired to plan a celebrity wedding that will bring her business national exposure, there’s a catch: Elliot is already contracted to design the flowers. Things are not helped by the two brides, who see the obvious chemistry between Ama and Elliot and are determined to set them up, not knowing their complicated history. Add in a meddling ex-boss, and a reality TV film crew documenting every step of the wedding prep, and Ama and Elliot’s hearts are not only in jeopardy again, but this time, their livelihoods are too.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Emma Project

The Emma Project by Sonali Dev is $1.99! This is the last book in Dev’s Austen-inspired Rajes series and is an Emma retelling. Sonali has been on the podcast and as always, was such a blast to talk to.

Emma gets a fresh Indian-American twist from award-winning author Sonali Dev in her heartwarmingly irresistible Jane Austen inspired rom com series.

No one can call Vansh Raje’s life anything but charmed. Handsome—Vogue has declared him California’s hottest single—and rich enough to spend all his time on missions to make the world a better place. Add to that a doting family and a contagiously sunny disposition and Vansh has made it halfway through his twenties without ever facing anything to throw him off his admittedly spectacular game.

A couple years from turning forty, Knightlina (Naina) Kohli has just gotten out of a ten-year-long fake relationship with Vansh’s brother and wants only one thing from her life…fine, two things. One, to have nothing to do with the unfairly blessed Raje family ever again. Two, to bring economic independence to millions of women in South Asia through her microfinance foundation and prove her father wrong about, well, everything.

Just when Naina’s dream is about to come to fruition, Vansh Raje shows up with his misguided Emma Project… And suddenly she’s fighting him for funding and wondering if a friends-with-benefits arrangement that’s as toe-curlingly hot as it is fun is worth risking her life’s work for.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Bridgerton Collection: Volume 1

Bridgerton Collection: Volume 1 by Julia Quinn is $2.99! You get three full-length historical romances and these collections, when not on sale, are priced at $19.99. Not a bad deal!

An enchanting collection containing the first three novels in New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn’s beloved Bridgerton series set in Regency England—The Duke and I, The Viscount Who Loved Me, and An Offer from a Gentlemannow a series created by Shondaland for Netflix.

The Duke and I
When Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, agree to a fake courtship, they think they’ve found the perfect solution to their problems. Romantically associated with one of London’s most desirable catches, Daphne’s prospects among the ton will soar. For avowed bachelor Simon, an attachment to Daphne will deter would-be brides and their ambitious mamas. Their plan works like a charm—at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule. . .

The Viscount Who Loved Me
London’s most elusive bachelor, Anthony Bridgerton is determined to wed. But one obstacle stands in his way—his intended’s older sister, Kate Sheffield, who is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal. Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes do not make the best husbands, and Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all. She’s determined to protect her sister—even as she fears she may not be able to resist the reprehensible and oh so desirable rake herself . . .

An Offer from a Gentleman
Sophie Beckett never dreamed she’d be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton’s famed masquerade ball—or that she would be spinning in the arms of her “Prince Charming”—the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton. But when the clock strikes midnight, Sophie’s enchanting evening ends. Since that night Benedict has been able to think of nothing but the bewitching young woman, and he’s sworn to find and wed his mystery miss. Yet will another unexpectedly steal his heart—and his chance for a fairy tale love?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Let’s Make a Scene by Laura Wood

Jul. 2nd, 2025 06:00 am
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Posted by Lara

A

Let’s Make a Scene

by Laura Wood
July 1, 2025 · Atria Books
GothicRomance

CW/TW

Coercive control/emotionally abusive relationship in the workplace – historical, off-page

I almost never read celebrity romances. Second-chance romances really turn me off, mostly. Enemies-to-lovers is tough to make convincing. I am so glad that I didn’t judge this book based on my past experience of these tropes because this story was ELECTRIC, particularly the chemistry between the two protagonists! I had a phenomenal time reading it.

Cynthie Taylor is 20 years old and has been cast in a small British Regency movie. This is her very first professional acting gig. Her co-star, Jack Turner-Jones, is a nepo baby and 24 years old. He’s been in training since he was a kid. She’s had no training whatsoever. They clash immediately.

Thirteen years later, there is a sequel in the works which is good for both of them at that stage in their careers. During the promo for the first movie, they had a PR relationship. For the sequel, they’re asked to do the same, only this time there is a documentary crew filming behind the scenes of the film shoot.

As setups go for fake relationships, it works because it’s clear what the benefits would be for both of them. As setups for a second-chance goes it works because the chemistry is definitely there the first time around, but they are just not the right people for each other at that stage. The enemies-to-lovers aspect is also constructed well because both characters remain mostly likeable (thanks to the dual POV) while their animosity makes sense, too.

But let’s quickly chat about our two leads. There are two distinct Cynthies in this story. The 20-year-old and the 33-year-old. The narrative bounces between the two points in time with about an even amount of time spent in each era. The young Cynthie is magnetic, raw, sensitive and in over her head. The older Cynthie has been through a really tough ordeal with her latest film and she’s finding it incredibly difficult to trust again. Up to this point, all of her relationships have been disastrous.

There are also two distinct Jacks. The 24-year-old is desperate to prove himself and make his famous parents proud. This is his first movie (but not his first acting gig) and he will do whatever it takes to make it work. He’s horrified to be acting alongside such a wildcard. At the start of the book, it’s not at all clear what 37-year-old Jack is going to be like, but the initial signs are promising.

Throughout the novel, we bounce between the two eras. The two eras are distinct (it’s clear from our leads’ behaviour that a full 13 years has passed) and are cleverly interwoven so that they act as a foil for the other era. This was a little different to what I anticipated. I thought there’d be a couple flashbacks to illuminate the origin of the animosity, but actually a lot of time is spent with young Jack and Cynthie. I was surprised to find myself enjoying time with the young versions because usually I exclusively read romances featuring older protagonists. Both timelines have their share of scorching chemistry, one of my favorite aspects of this story.

This is an emotionally rich novel spanning the full gamut of human emotions. From deep despair to heartbreak to euphoria to awkwardness to hot hot chemistry. The lead characters felt really well developed. As most of the dual timelines happen on film sets, there are a lot of side characters who are necessarily flat but still interesting to read. This book is also impossibly romantic. I won’t give you examples so as not to spoil anything, but so often I’d find myself smiling giddily as I read. The blurb tells me that this is a companion novel. I haven’t read the first in this series but I didn’t struggle at all to follow this story. I’m sure if I read book one, I would get more out of book two, but I personally didn’t feel the lack.

In some ways, this story is a love song to movies, specifically romantic comedies. There are many film references to classic 90s and 2000s movies and they make it really fun. It was a lovely jolt of nostalgia for me. Something that I didn’t realise would come with celebrity romances is that you get this titillating feeling of peeking behind the curtain, the imagined other side of the velvet rope separating the celebrity world from us plebs. I really enjoyed it!

If you are looking for that sweet, sweet escapism and need it in the form of an emotionally rich story with some really well-handled tropes, then I strongly recommend Let’s Make a Scene. Oh, and that chemistry? Flames! So hot!

 

 

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Posted by Amanda

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!

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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.

Left of Forever

Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt

Author: Tarah DeWitt
Released: May 20, 2025 by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: ,
Series: Spunes, OR #2

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!

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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.

I swear I did not know we were running a guest review of this one when I recommended it to two (!!) people who really liked second chance romances with relatable characters. I feel like people’s tastes are so different that this hardly ever happens where one book works for more than one request. 

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Xeni

Xeni by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Author: Rebekah Weatherspoon
Released: October 4, 2019
Genre: , ,
Series: Loose Ends #2

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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.

This reader wanted a diverse cast, a cinnamon roll hero, and any and all romances that were the antithesis of the current administration. I thought of Xeni and gave a bonus suggest of Rafe by the same author as well. The heroes are supportive and the world is more reflective of the wide range of people and cultures in our U.S. population. 

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The Billionaire’s Wake-Up-Call Girl

The Billionaire’s Wake-Up-Call Girl by Annika Martin

Author: Annika Martin
Released: July 9, 2018
Genre: ,
Series: Billionaires of Manhattan #2

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!

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Some of the things this reader mentioned liking were rom-coms, secret identities, and nothing that inches toward darker themes. I’m pretty picky about rom-coms, since humor is subjective, but I remember being charmed by this one and how the hero falls for this mystery woman over the phone. 

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Fantasy Romance, a Boxed Set, & More

Jul. 1st, 2025 03:30 pm
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Posted by Amanda

Here for the Wrong Reasons

Here for the Wrong Reasons by Annabel Paulsen and Lydia Wang is $1.99! We mentioned on a Hide Your Wallet earlier this spring and it’s a F/F reality TV romance.

In this swoon-filled lesbian romcom, two dating show contestants vying for the affection of the leading man fall head over heels—for each other.

Fans of Ashley Herring Blake and Alexandria Bellefleur, and readers who love The Bachelor, will adore this steamy, laugh-out-loud debut romance.

Krystin knows exactly what she a husband, a horse, and a place to hang all her competitive rodeo blue ribbons. But when none of the eligible bachelors in Montana end up being right for her, she turns to reality TV. On Hopelessly Devoted, Krystin will compete against dozens of other women for the heart of this season’s Hopeless Romantic, Josh Rosen. She’s determined to win the perfect life she came here for—if she can just ignore the glossy brunette whose crimson smile gives her goosebumps.

Lauren has never done anything for the right reasons—and she’s definitely not on Hopelessly Devoted to win Josh’s heart. Lauren’s plan is simple: stay on the show long enough to build her social media following, and then gracefully leave when it’s her turn to be eliminated. With enough followers, she’ll finally have enough influencer clout to do whatever she wants—including come out of the proverbial walk-in closet. But the longer she stays on the show, the more she finds herself tangled up in a certain blonde’s lasso.

But neither contestant expects a heteronormative dating show to challenge their own deeply-ingrained ideas of who they are—and what they want. Fans of The Charm Offensive and Love Island will swoon for this sparkling debut romcom.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Servant of Earth

Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley is $2.99! This is book one in the Shards of Magic series and was mentioned on Hide Your Wallet. This is a departure from Hawley’s small town paranormal romances. Did any of you pick this one up?

In the underground Fae realm, only the strongest and most ruthless have power—but a young human woman forced into a life of servitude is about to change everything.

Kenna Heron is best known in her village for being a little wild—some say “half feral”—but she’ll need every ounce of that ferocity to survive captivity in the cruel Fae court.

Trapped as a servant in the faeries’ underground kingdom of Mistei, Kenna must help her new mistress undertake six deadly trials, one for each branch of magic: Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and Blood. If she succeeds, her mistress will gain immortality and become the heir to Earth House. If she doesn’t, the punishment is death—for both mistress and servant.

With no ally but a sentient dagger of mysterious origins, Kenna must face monsters, magic, and grueling physical tests. But worse dangers wait underground, and soon Kenna gets caught up in a secret rebellion against the inventively sadistic faerie king. When her feelings for the rebellion’s leader turn passionate, Kenna must decide if she’s willing to risk her life for a better world and a chance at happiness.

Surviving the trials and overthrowing a tyrant king will take cunning, courage, and an iron will… but even that may not be enough.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Can’t Help Falling in Love

Can’t Help Falling in Love by Sophie Sullivan is $2.99! This is a standalone contemporary romance with class differences and fake dating.

A struggling waitress and the heir to a major Seattle company stumble into a high-profile fake engagement while simultaneously trying to keep up with their own love lives in this flirty fall rom-com!

Lexi Danby is looking for some no-strings, fall fun. Once a college track star, she was forced to drop out when her father passed away. Now she’s trying to make ends meet while putting herself through school and caring for her grieving mother. When her comically bad waitressing lands her directly in the path of a handsome, charming stranger named Will, Lexi may just have found the distraction she’s been looking for. Their first date looks promising until a misunderstanding at a party thrusts Lexi and Will into a fake engagement they can’t talk themselves out of. And Will turns out to be a member of Seattle royalty.

Will Grand is heir to a major company, and Seattle’s most eligible bachelor. But he’s been placed in charge of an important merger with a company that values family above all else, and needs to show them that he’s settled down. While a fake engagement is advantageous from a business standpoint, it’s not so great for a budding relationship with a woman who’s wary of commitment. With a woman who Will is beginning to care about much more than he could have anticipated.

As Lexi gets a taste of Will’s glamorous world and the pair keeps up the pretense of their fake engagement for the press, they decide to see where a more casual relationship takes them out of the spotlight. And amid apple picking in comfy flannels, outdoor breweries in the crisp air, and fun Halloween preparations, Lexi starts to realize the scariest part of the season might just be taking a chance on love.

“Sophie Sullivan consistently crafts romances to root for.” -Courtney Kae, author of In the Event of Love and In the Case of Heartbreak

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Game Changers Volume 2

Game Changers Volume 2 by Rachel Reid is $3.99 at Amazon! The boxed set is available at other retailers, but I’m not seeing it at the sale price. Fingers crossed this isn’t an expiring deal from yesterday. Many of Reid’s have been favorably reviewed on the site or have been recommended in the comments.

Common Goal

Veteran goaltender Eric Bennett has faced down some of the toughest shooters on the ice, but nothing prepared him for his latest challenge—life after hockey. It’s time to make some big changes, starting with finally dating men for the first time.

Graduate student Kyle Swift moved to New York nursing a broken heart. He’d sworn to find someone his own age to crush on (for once). Until he meets a gorgeous, distinguished silver fox hockey player. Despite their intense physical attraction, Kyle has no intention of getting emotionally involved. He’ll teach Eric a few tricks, have some mutually consensual fun, then walk away.

Eric is more than happy to learn anything Kyle brings to the table. And Kyle never expected their friends-with-benefits arrangement to leave him wanting more. Happily-ever-after might be staring them in the face, but it won’t happen if they’re too stubborn to come clean about their feelings.

Everything they both want is within reach… They just have to be brave enough to grab it.

Role Model

The hits just keep coming for Troy Barrett. Traded to the worst team in the league would be bad enough, but coming on the heels of a messy breakup and a recent scandal… Troy just wants to play hockey and be left alone. He doesn’t want to be in the news anymore, and he definitely doesn’t want to “work on his online presence” with the team’s peppy social media manager.

Harris Drover can tell standoffish Troy isn’t happy about the trade—anyone could tell, frankly, as he doesn’t exactly hide it well—but Harris doesn’t give up on people easily. Even when he’s developing a crush he’s sure is one-sided. And when he sees Troy’s smile finally crack through his grumpy exterior, well… That’s a man Harris couldn’t turn his back on if he wanted to.

Suddenly, Troy’s move to the new team feels like an opportunity—for Troy to embrace his true self, and for both men to surrender to their growing attraction. But indulging in each other behind closed doors is one thing, and for Troy, being in a public relationship with Harris will mean facing off with his fears, once and for all.

The Long Game

Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have been seeing each other for ten years and have kept it secret. From friends, from family…from the league. If Shane wants to stay at the top of his game, what he and Ilya share has to remain secret. He loves Ilya, but what if going public ruins everything?

Ilya is sick of secrets. Shane has gotten so good at hiding his feelings, sometimes Ilya questions if they even exist. The closeness, the intimacy, even the risk that would come with being open about their relationship…Ilya wants it all.

It’s time for them to make the call and decide what’s most important—hockey or love.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Big Idea: Matthew Kressel

Jul. 1st, 2025 01:50 pm
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Posted by Athena Scalzi

Hop on board for author Matthew Kressel’s newest ride through the galaxy, Space Trucker Jess. In this Big Idea as he takes you through not only his writing process for this particular story, but on a journey through a high-concept sci-fi world viewed through the eyes of a teenage girl.

MATTHEW KRESSEL:

I was a feral kid. Both my parents worked full-time jobs, and I’d come home to an empty house. I had no supervision. I went off with friends and we, ahem, did things. Stupid things. Really fucking stupid things. And when I look back on those days I’m like, How the hell did I make it out alive?

But that freedom was glorious. You could do whatever you wanted. Go anywhere. You had the feeling that anything could happen. And it often did. The good and the bad.

That’s the kind of feeling I hope to evoke in Space Trucker Jess. The joy and spontaneity of discovery. In my childhood, we got into trouble all around the neighborhood. In my novel, Jess gets into hijinx across the galaxy. 

Like Jess herself, I began the book with a simple premise: Screw the “rules.” 

In my past stories and novels, I labored over every paragraph, sentence, word, and punctuation mark until I’d wound myself into a Gordian knot a million words long. In Jess, I felt the need to loosen the bridles, to let my idea run wild, like that feral kid who got into trouble around the neighborhood. What emerged was Jess, a take-no-shit foul-mouthed kick-ass teenaged girl who’s smart as hell, caring and empathetic, who solves problems not with violence but with brains and determination. Though too often for her own good, Jess’s curiosity gets her into trouble. Big trouble.

Think Natasha Lyonne narrating 2001: A Space Odyssey.

There’s lots of high-concept SF, and, yeah, Space Trucker Jess has all the tropes: starships and FTL travel, alien gods, missing planets, galactic secrets. But I wanted to tell the story a different way. Not from an omniscient or a dry and distant third person, but from deep in the point of view of a sensitive and expressive girl who’s journeyed across the Milk and back a thousand times and who knows more about starships than most people know their own nose. 

And so you get high philosophy and fart jokes. Orthodox religion and irreverent sacrilege. Weird inscrutable aliens and deadbeat dads. All told from a foul-mouthed over-confident, wicked-smart and sometimes willfully naive girl who just wants, at the end of the day, to be left the hell alone.

Space Trucker Jess is also about identity. I wrote a good chunk of the book during the first Covid lockdowns. Cut off from friends and family, from work and all the many inter-personal relationships I took for granted, I felt my sense of self drifting. Without those external interactions reflecting my identity back to me, I didn’t know who I was anymore. It was very disconcerting. 

A lot of that experience makes its way into the book. Jess’s worldview expands enormously throughout the novel, sometimes suddenly and violently, and she is forced to reckon with a new sense of self and a greater awareness. 

Also, Space Trucker Jess is about family. Jess loves her deadbeat dad, and she and him have been grifting their way across the galaxy for years. But she knows he’s an asshole, he knows he’s an asshole, but she just can’t let him go. The relationship is, from the start, highly dysfunctional. Jess just wants stability, away from him. But getting away is harder than it sounds. Without getting too personal, I had a lot of turbulence in my childhood home, and I wanted to explore the contrasts between the family we’re born with and the family we choose, and how those dynamics can alter the course of our entire lives, for better or worse. 

So if you want to go on a fun adventure alongside a bad-ass genius girl head-firsting her way through the galaxy who’s just looking for some peace in an uncaring universe, while encountering alien gods, missing planets, galactic secrets, and more, well then, Space Trucker Jess might just be your ride.


Space Trucker Jess: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Bookshop|Powell’s

Author socials: Website|Facebook|Instagram|Bluesky

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Posted by Amanda

This HaBO comes from Hannah, who wants to find this historical:

So here’s what I remember:

– It was an old-school style paperback romance I bought in the airport in like 2006.

– Set in the United States in the early 1900s.

–  The mother had some drama with this wealthy family and ending up getting pregnant and married to one of them, so when her daughter was born she gave her the family last name as her first name or something because she was so proud of the important association?

– Daughter was born blue and sickly and was given to their servants to care for, her hair came in very patchy and red, and later filled in the rest of the way blonde.

– Her mother realized she could be a beauty when she was playing dress up in an old fashioned wig one day and then she hires a hairdresser to come style it so only then blonde shows, is determined for her to marry well.

– There’s a scene where they’re having a party and she’s dancing the Charleston or something and her hair comes unpinned and they see the red and the men are entranced.

– She gets married young and I feel like their first time having sex is on a ship?

– The heroine’s name definitely had “Garden” in it because her husband called her his “private Garden” later on.

– Marriage is not happy, she listens to bad advice to bleach her hair all blonde and lets her image be used in cosmetics ads, he goes off flying his plane and cheats on her.

It was one of the first historical romances I read as a teenager and I don’t remember if I finished it or how it ended but it’s driving me crazy that I can’t figure out the title or author!

Man, I hope she has a happy ending.

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Posted by Amanda

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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Posted by Amanda

Welcome to Hide Your Wallet! We’re officially in July!

We have a lone historical romance release on our radar, but fantasy and contemporary take up the rest of our new releases this week. Quelle surprise!

Which books are your excited for this week? Let us know in the comments!

Behind Frenemy Lines

Behind Frenemy Lines by Zen Cho

Author: Zen Cho
Released: July 1, 2025 by Bramble
Genre: ,

Award-winning author Zen Cho delivers a sparkling and witty rivals-to-lovers romance reminiscent of Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game and Sajni Patel’s The Trouble with Hating You.

Sparks fly when an ambitious rules-bound lawyer clashes with a maverick new hire who threatens his chances of partnership—and the walls he’s built around his heart.

Charles Goh has always played by the rules. It’s how he survived his difficult childhood as the swotty foreigner at a posh English boarding school — and now, his high-pressure job at one of the biggest corporate law firms in London. His job is his life and he’s happy that way … until she shows up.

Kriya Rajasekar’s lost her way. Her longtime boyfriend’s broken up with her and she feels trapped in her legal career. She knows she needs a fresh start — but it turns out her new job is at the same firm as her work nemesis. Charles Goh is like the bad luck charm she keeps running into, and their encounters lead to disaster every single time. And now he’s her office mate.

But just as they’re figuring out how to navigate this frenemy relationship, Kriya needs Charles’ pretend they’re dating so her boss will stop hitting on her. Soon, it becomes less clear whether they’re enemies, friends – or something else.

Amanda: I read this one and the main characters are so good!

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Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe

Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe by C.B. Lee

Author: C.B. Lee
Released: July 1, 2025 by Feiwel & Friends
Genre: , , , ,

A geeky overachiever determined to save the world through science and a troublemaking chosen one lashing out against her destiny meet and fall in love in a magical coffeeshop as their two very different universes begin to collide in Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe, C.B. Lee’s fun, sapphic, cozy fantasy YA romance.

When Brenda’s internet goes out right before an important scholarship deadline, she stumbles right into Kat’s family’s coffeeshop. Brenda is swept away by cool, confident Kat, who actually cares about Brenda’s 19-step plan to save the world through science. Meanwhile, Kat can’t stop thinking about Brenda, who is smart, passionate, and doesn’t seem to care that Kat is the prophesized Chosen One.

The only problem? Kat and Brenda are from different universes. Like need-to-find-a-portal-to-go-on-a-second-date different universes.

As their universes collide and things spiral out of control, can a girl who is determined to save the world find love with a girl determined to outrun her destiny?

Elyse: First of all the cover is adorable, but I love the coffeeshop in another universe element too. I’m also super into cozy fantasy lately.

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Let’s Make a Scene

Let’s Make a Scene by Laura Wood

Author: Laura Wood
Released: July 1, 2025 by Atria Books
Genre: ,

The companion novel to Laura Wood’s “excellent, unputdownable adult debut” (Library Journal, starred review) Under Your Spell follows Theo Eliott’s best friend Cynthie Taylor as she’s pulled back into a fake PR relationship with Jack Turner-Jones, the one costar she swore she’d never work with again.

When Cynthie Taylor gets her first real acting job, starring in a small British movie, she is over the moon. There is only one problem…Cynthie’s arrogant and annoyingly handsome costar Jack hates her, and the feeling is definitely mutual. While they may be at war behind the scenes, their on-screen chemistry is palpable, and the studio sees an opportunity—have the two young stars fake a romance that will charm fans and draw crowds.

Thirteen years later, Cynthie and Jack have successfully kept their promise to stay far away from one another, until a surprising offer comes to make a sequel to the cult classic that launched their careers. But there’s a they must also rekindle their pretend relationship…and this time there’s a documentary crew following their every move.

Cynthie and Jack both desperately need this film to work, but can two ex-rivals ever really trust each other? And what happens when the roles they’re playing start to feel all too real?

Elyse: My toxic trait is that I will read literally any celebrity romance.

Lara: I adored this book! Review incoming.

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This Much is True

This Much is True by Vivienne Lorret

Author: Vivienne Lorret
Released: July 1, 2025 by Avon
Genre: ,
Series: The Liars' Club #3

USA Today bestselling author Vivienne Lorret returns with the third book in her Liars’ Club series with a sexy and hilarious romance about a thrill-seeking debutante and a highwayman who is more than he seems on the surface…

Althea Hartley has lost her spark. As the youngest daughter of an eccentric family, playwrighting is in her blood. But two failed Seasons have left her disenchanted. In desperate need of inspiration, she takes matters into her own hands by creating a tale of a dashing highwayman. What could possibly go wrong?

But her stories prove to be a little too true for the actual highwayman living beneath the tons’ nose.

Jasper Trueblood, Viscount St. James, needs to put an end to the bewitching Miss Hartley’s incriminating tales. Society can never suspect that he isn’t the clumsy oaf he pretends to be. Or that, under the cover of darkness, he greets scoundrels and lightens their purses. Not too much. Just enough to keep those closest to him safe from his menacing uncle.

Then sparks fly when this unlikely pair meets one perfect night. And while she is eager to unmask him, he is determined to stay hidden. But there’s no denying the chemistry that neither of them are able to resist…

The only thing for certain is that Thea needs to guard her heart before the highwayman steals it.

The third book in the Liars’ Club series with a hero who is secretly a highwayman.

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Tusk Love

Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon

Author: Thea Guanzon
Released: July 1, 2025 by Random House Worlds
Genre: , ,

A merchant’s daughter who yearns for adventure gets more than she bargained for when she falls for a broodingly handsome stranger in this saucy romantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars.

“A true delight of a book! Spicy and heartfelt—this one is a winner all around.”—Katee Robert, author of Neon Gods

As the daughter of an ambitious merchant, Guinevere’s path has been marry into a noble house of the Dwendalian Empire, raise her family’s station, and live quietly as a lordling’s obedient wife. But Guinevere longs for a life unbounded by expectations, for freedom and passion and adventure.

Those distant dreams become a sudden reality when her caravan is beset by bandits, leaving her guards slain and Guinevere stranded alone on the dangerous Amber Road. Her only chance of survival is to travel alongside Oskar, the aloof half-orc who saved her during the attack.

Unlike Guinevere, Oskar’s path is not so set in stone. With his mother dead and his apprenticeship abandoned, all that’s left is a long, lonely walk to a land he’s never seen to find family he’s never met. The last thing he needs is a spoiled waif like Guinevere slowing him down—even if the spark between them sizzles with promise.

Despite his cold exterior, Oskar is brave and thoughtful and unlike anyone Guinevere has ever met. And while Guinevere may be sheltered, she brings out a softness in him that he has never dared to feel before. As the flames of their passion grow, they realize that soon they’ll need to choose between their expected destinations or their blossoming romance.

Written by New York Times bestselling author Thea Guanzon at the behest of Critical Role’s Jester Lavorre, Tusk Love brings the most romantic story on Exandrian bookshelves to life.

Elyse: I’m a sucker for the Critical Role tie-in, but I also really enjoy Guanzon’s writing.

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Close To Home: Grist

Jun. 30th, 2025 08:47 pm
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Posted by Athena Scalzi

Have you ever had one of those places you want to go to, but never get around to checking out, and suddenly a year has passed and you’ve still never been? That’s how it was for me and Grist, a restaurant in downtown Dayton that I had heard about from so many people and had been meaning to get out to for literal months. Well, I finally made it happen, and I’m so glad I did.

Bryant and I were going out to dinner, and I asked him what kind of food he wanted. He picked Italian, which, in my opinion, is the hardest cuisine to get around this area. At least, good Italian, that is. There’s always Fazoli’s, and TripAdvisor has the audacity to label Marion’s Pizza as the number one Italian spot in the area, so pickings are slim for Italian ’round these parts. But I wanted something nicer than Spaghetti Warehouse.

Eventually my searching led me to Grist, which was labeled as Italian, and looked pretty dang amazing from the photos provided. Plus, I’d heard from numerous Daytonians in the past that they liked Grist, and I trust my sources. So, I made us a reservation for that evening, excited to try somewhere new.

Located on Fifth Street, it’s just down the street from the Oregon District, and close to the Dayton Convention Center. There’s a parking garage right across the street from it, and some street parking, too.

Upon walking in, the first thing I noticed was how bright and open it is. The large wall of windows let in so much natural light, and you immediately get to see all the baked goods in their glass display case.

A shot of the display case holding the desserts and baked goods. You can also see wine glasses and stacks of dishes in the background, and in the very back is a huge bookshelf type wall.

I immediately loved the decor and vibe in Grist. It was like sort of rustic but nice at the same time. Like fancy Italian farmhouse vibes? It was really cute.

A huge bookshelf/cabinet set up that takes up an entire wall, and is painted a really pretty sea salt blue. The bookshelf looking portion is filled with jars of pasta, bottles of olive oils and some t-shirts for sale. There's also a really nice stand/shelving thingy on the other wall with wine bottles on it.

And there was even a selection of wine for purchase:

A rack and cooler of wine bottles.

I didn’t get a shot of their other indoor dining area or their little patio, but it does have a super cute patio.

Grist has casual service, so you can either place your order at the counter or order at your table using your phone, and they bring the food out to your table. I chose to use my phone because there was a pretty steady flow of people ordering to-go stuff from the register.

Here’s what they were offering on their dinner menu:

A paper menu, with two sections. One for starters and one for entrees. In the starters section there's rosemary and parmesan focaccia, mushroom pate, meatballs, shrimp melange, roasted carrots, apricot and hazelnut burrata, and spring chopped salad. For the entrees there's tagliatelle alla bolognese, squash blossom halibut, pork raviolini, sweet corn agnolotti, risotto cacio e pepe, and squid ink orecchiette.

It’s basically a law that you have to try a restaurant’s bread. The bread a restaurant offers is a window into all the rest of their food, and also into their soul. So we split the half loaf of rosemary and parmesan focaccia:

A beautiful loaf of focaccia cut in half long ways, and sliced into shareable slices. A round puck of butter sits beside it. It is served on a wood serving platter.

Bryant and I both loved the focaccia, and there was more than enough for both of us. The outside was just a little bit crispy and the bread inside was soft and chewy. It wasn’t overwhelmingly herbaceous, and was definitely worth the six dollars in my opinion. The only acceptable reason to not try this bread if you visit is if you’re gluten intolerant.

We also shared the house-made meatballs:

A small black bowl with five sizeable meatballs, all covered in red sauce and parmesan cheese grated on top.

I can’t say I’m like, a huge meatball fan. I don’t really eat them that often and they’re not something I crave regularly or think about all that much. However, these meatballs were really yummy! I was impressed that there were five of them, and they were quite sizeable. I think the portion size is honestly pretty good. They definitely tasted like they were made fresh in-house, and had just the right amount of sauce on them. I would be more than happy to have a meatball marinara sub made with these meatballs.

And our final appetizer was the mushroom pate:

Three slices of toasted bread served alongside a small white bowl filled with the mushroom pate, which is topped with pickled shallot and sesame seeds.

First off, I love how toasty the ciabatta was, it’s like the perfect shade for toast. The mushroom pate was packed to the brim with mushroomy, umami flavor. Total flavor bomb, and a little goes a long way. The pickled shallots added a wild contrast, and there was a lot of interesting textures. It was seriously delish.

To accompany the starters, I decided to try their sweet wine flight, which came with three wines for fourteen dollars:

A slim wooden flight board with three small glasses of wine. One red and two white.

I can’t remember what the red one was, but the two whites are a Riesling and a sparkling Moscato. I did not care for the red at all, in my opinion it wasn’t even remotely sweet, but I generally prefer white anyway so maybe it just wasn’t my cup of tea (or wine, I suppose). Normally I like Rieslings but this one was kind of a miss for me, too. The Moscato was the bomb dot com though. I loved the bubbles and the sweetness level was perfect. It was so smooth and delish, I ended up polishing that one off but didn’t really drink the other two.

Choosing an entree was pretty dang tough, but Bryant ended up picking the Cacio e Pepe Orecchiette:

A large white bowl/plate type of dish with a large portion of risotto, drizzled with some sort of cream sauce and with chunks of baked parmesan and pepper on top.

I absolutely loved the presentation of this dish, and I’m a huge risotto fan, but I honestly didn’t care for this dish. It just really didn’t taste like much to me, but then again I only had one bite and Bryant said he really liked it, so maybe it was a me issue. I’m glad he enjoyed it!

I opted for the Sweet Corn Agnolotti:

A black bowl containing about thirteen pieces of Agnolotti. Fresh parmesan is shaved on top.

I actually wasn’t sure what type of pasta agnolotti was, but it’s basically just a stuffed pasta, kind of like a ravioli. These little dudes were stuffed with a delicious, creamy filling that I totally burned the frick frack out of my tongue on. They had a great corn flavor, you could definitely tell it was sweet corn. I noticed on the menu it also said it had black truffle in it but I actually didn’t notice any truffle flavor at all, so that’s kind of odd. I really enjoyed my entree, and I think next time I’d like to try the squid ink pasta since I still have yet to try squid ink.

Of course, we had to save room for dessert, and you can’t eat an Italian dinner without ending it with tiramisu:

A small white plate with a big ol cube of tiramisu on it. It is a heck of a solid block of creamy white goodness and cocoa powder.

Funny enough, Bryant’s favorite dessert is tiramisu, so he definitely wasn’t gonna pass this up. He was kind enough to let me try a bite, and I feel confident saying it’s a pretty good tiramisu! It was creamy and rich, and honestly didn’t have any sort of alcohol-y boozy type flavor. No complaints, solid tiramisu.

I went with the apricot and passionfruit tart with pepita crust:

A long and narrow slice of a tart, the filling of which is bright orange and topped with dollops of toasted meringue (at least I think that's what it is?).

Oh my DAYS! This bloody thing was loaded with flavor. Holy cannoli this thing literally punched my tastebuds into next week! The passionfruit flavor is absolutely bonkers on this sucker. Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious. It was sweet and tart and the crust was awesome and the meringue on top was fantastic and wow. Seriously wow. It took me three separate tries to eat this after I took it home, because I would take one bite and be like, okay that’s plenty for now. But don’t misunderstand me, it is very good!

Before leaving, I simply had to get one of their incredible looking cookies to take home, and I picked the white chocolate pineapple one:

A big cookie with flaky sea salt on top, being held up by me in front of a light purple wall.

This cookie was dense, chewy, perfectly sweet with pieces of pineapple throughout, and the flaky sea salt on top really was the cherry on top, or I guess it was the flaky sea salt on top (I know, it’s not a funny joke). Definitely pick up a cookie on your way out, you won’t regret it!

Grist is open Tuesday-Saturday for lunch and dinner, with a break in between the two. You can make reservations for dinner but not for lunch, and you can order online for lunch but not for dinner. While I was there I learned that Grist also hosts cooking classes on Sundays, so that’s neat! I’d love to check one out sometime.

All in all, Grist was a great experience. Though we didn’t have waiters and whatnot, the service we got from the people at the counter and from the chefs that brought our plates out was extremely friendly, and also the food came out really quickly. We both really loved the food and the vibes, and I also like the prices. I definitely want to come back and try pretty much everything I didn’t get to this first time around.

Have you tried Grist before? Which dish looks the best to you? Do you have any recommendations for nice Italian places in Dayton? Let me know in the comments, and have a great day! And be sure to follow Grist on Instagram.

-AMS

Rebuilding journal search again

Jun. 30th, 2025 03:18 pm
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[personal profile] alierak posting in [site community profile] dw_maintenance
We're having to rebuild the search server again (previously, previously). It will take a few days to reindex all the content.

Meanwhile search services should be running, but probably returning no results or incomplete results for most queries.
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Posted by SB Sarah

We made a Libro.fm Audiobook Playlist of our Top Recommendations! And this graphic doesn’t contain all of them – there’s a bunch more!

If you’ve got car rides, long commutes, or a list of chores to do, we’ve gathered some of our all-time-favorite audiobooks, including romance, mystery, and some nonfiction.  We picked the first books from some outstanding series, some nonfiction that will truly fascinate you, and some that are just extremely fun.

Not only that – but Libro.fm has made it possible for me to give away three audiobooks from our playlist! 

Blue padded over hear headphones

Comment below with which book you’d want, and what you’ll be doing while you listen! 

If you want to comment in support of our selections, we’d love that, too!

Plus, if you’ve been thinking of joining Libro.fm, here are a few things to know:

Standard disclaimers apply: We are not being compensated for this giveaway. Must be over 18 and ready to wear headphones, earbuds, or maybe just whole house surround sound the audiobook – we don’t judge! Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. Entries will end around noon on Thursday 3 July 2025, and winners will be announced and notified shortly afterward.

Good luck and happy listening!

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Posted by Amanda

A Letter to the Luminous Deep

RECOMMENDED: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvia Cathrall is $2.99! Elyse read this one and gave it an A:

If you are looking for a cozy fantasy read with excellent romance and worldbuilding, I highly recommend Letters to the Luminous Deep.

A charming fantasy set in an underwater world with magical academia and a heartwarming penpal romance, perfect for fans of A Marvellous Light, Emily Wilde’s Encylopaedia of Faeries and The House in the Cerulean Sea.

“An underwater treasure-chest to be slowly unpacked, full of things I adore: nosy and loving families, epistolary romance, gorgeous worldbuilding, and anxious scholars doing their best to meet the world with kindness and curiosity.” —Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light

A beautiful discovery outside the window of her underwater home prompts the reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. The letters they share are filled with passion, at first for their mutual interests, and then, inevitably, for each other.

Together, they uncover a mystery from the unknown depths, destined to transform the underwater world they both equally fear and love. But by no mere coincidence, a seaquake destroys E.’s home, and she and Henerey vanish.

A year later, E.’s sister Sophy, and Henerey’s brother Vyerin, are left to solve the mystery, piecing together the letters, sketches and field notes left behind—and learn what their siblings’ disappearance might mean for life as they know it.

Inspired, immersive, and full of heart, this charming epistolary tale is an adventure into the depths of a magical sea and the limits of the imagination from a marvelous debut voice.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Build Up

The Build Up by Tati Richardson is $1.99! This is a contemporary workplace romance. It’s also a standalone. Have you read this one?

“Plenty of sexy chemistry and sensual sizzle in a story line that celebrates family, friends, and food.” Booklist, starred review

A truly unfortunate first day of work leads to unexpected love in this sparkling debut from Romance in Colour podcast cohost Tati Richardson .

Rumpled and ragged was not how architect Ari James envisioned kicking off her first day at a new firm. And few things can top the horror of her new—and extremely hot—colleague walking in on her at the worst moment ever. Learning that she’ll be working with him on the project that’s supposed to get her career back on top makes it harder than ever to focus on her big comeback.

With a partnership at his firm on the line, nothing is going to stand in the way of Porter Harrison absolutely killing it on his new not his obnoxious rival, not his unpredictable brother and definitely not his new coworker whose gorgeous curves he accidentally saw and now can’t get out of his head.

Though neither of them is looking for love, once their creative juices get flowing, Ari and Porter’s connection is obvious. But when their shared goal has always been winning at work, building a solid foundation for a relationship might end up costing them everything…

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Last Heir to Blackwood Library

The Last Heir to the Blackwood Library by Hester Fox is $2.99! Fox does a good blend of historical settings, Gothic elements, and sometimes dual timelines. Do you have a favorite of her books?

In postWorld War I England, a young woman inherits a mysterious library and must untangle its powerful secrets

With the stroke of a pen, twenty-three-year-old Ivy Radcliffe becomes Lady Hayworth, owner of a sprawling estate on the Yorkshire moors. Ivy has never heard of Blackwood Abbey, or of the ancient bloodline from which she’s descended. With nothing to keep her in London since losing her brother in the Great War, she warily makes her way to her new home.

The abbey is foreboding, the servants reserved and suspicious. But there is a treasure waiting behind locked doors: a magnificent library. Despite cryptic warnings from the staff, Ivy feels irresistibly drawn to its dusty shelves, where familiar works mingle with strange, esoteric texts. And she senses something else in the library too, a presence that seems to have a will of its own.

Rumors swirl in the village about the abbey’s previous owners, about ghosts and curses, and an enigmatic manuscript at the center of it all. And as events grow more sinister, it will be up to Ivy to uncover the library’s mysteries in order to reclaim her own story—before it vanishes forever.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Mariana

Mariana by Susanna Kearsley is $1.99! Kearsley’s books tend to be a mix of genres – contemporary, historical, fantasy, time travel, paranormal. Mariana was originally published in 1995 and some readers have named this a favorite of Kearsley’s backlist.

From the winner of the Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize, this mesmerizing, suspenseful, and richly atmospheric tale of time travel draws us into the heart of a heroine we won’t soon forget…

The first time Julia Beckett saw Greywethers she was only five, but she knew that it was her house. And now that she’s at last become its owner, she suspects that she was drawn there for a reason.

As if Greywethers were a portal between worlds, she finds herself transported into seventeenth-century England, becoming Mariana, a young woman struggling against danger and treachery, and battling a forbidden love.

Each time Julia travels back, she becomes more enthralled with the past…until she realizes Mariana’s life is threatening to eclipse her own, and she must find a way to lay the past to rest or lose the chance for happiness in her own time.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Cover Snark: Saint Nick the Oil Slick

Jun. 30th, 2025 07:00 am
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Posted by Amanda

Welcome back to Cover Snark! It’s a real “Christmas in July” edition.

Gift Wrapped in a Kilt by Anna Durand. A very oily, shirtless man in a santa hat and red pants. He's really shoving his hand in those pants. A snowy Christmas tree is in the background.

From Sharon

Sarah: At thumbnail size, it looks like he is grabbing hold of an entirely different package.

Elyse: Greasy Santa …

Sarah: Shiny Claus

Claudia: I understand that chimneys can present a challenge, but all that slickness is not appealing!!

Sarah: WHEEEE!

Amanda: All that soot is really going to stick to that baby oil. Also…those lights are on, which I fear poses another risk.

Sarah: if those tiny bulbs get hot like I think they will, the oil will only amplify the burn. Seems unwise.

Shana: I was promised a kilt, not an oil slick. Can I send this gift back?

Unhinged by Vera Valentine. An image of a white door with a white door frame and the apartment number of 69.

From Christine: I just can’t stop giggling over this book. This perhaps doesn’t quiiiite fit cover snark. The 69 looks a bit photoshopped, but otherwise it’s fine. And the cover shows the male romantic lead character. Very normal. Except. I mean. It’s a door! A door!

Sarah: Yes. The hero is the heroine’s front door. “When a man claiming to be her front door enters her dreams to warn her about an imminent threat to her life, Tana initially chalks it up to her weird late-night snacks.”

I have to admit, the “69” is a…nice touch.

Amanda: I think Elyse read or was going to read this one!

Elyse: I think not

I may have said that in a moment of insanity

Amanda: I’m looking at this cover with new perspective after playing Date Everything.

Shana: Mmmm look at that sexy wood grain.

Sarah: Is it me or is the doorknob lower than it would usually be?

I can’t believe I have stared at a door for this long.

Baby Duke by Samara Dark. The torso of a man. He has on jeans and his t-shirt is being pulled up to his pecs. He has one hand in a front pocket. Another set of hands are wrapping around him and sliding into his pants.

From Sara: While I know what they were going for, the result is slightly disturbing.

Sarah: Have we snarked this before, or am I thinking of another more different cover with extraneous arms?

Also if her hands are cold, she won’t be impressed by what she finds after splunking down that way.

Amanda: Two thoughts! Is “Baby Duke” what he calls his peen? And the nail color is…bad because of how well it blends into her skin tone.

Sarah: This is a cover that at its smallest size will give folks a double take.

Special Agent Finnegan by Mimi Barbour. A headless man in a black t-shirt takes up the left half of the cover, but there's both a translucent Christmas tree and a woman's face overlapping his body.

From PamG: Said the FBI guy to the thirsty girl,
Do you see what I see?
Growing from my pants, thirsty girl.
Do you see what I see?
A star, a star, totters at the peak.
Let us hope that Thirsty doesn’t freak.
Let us hope that thirsty doesn’t freak!

(Who knew that pining was so chic?)
Bonus challenge: come up with a final refrain.

Sarah: EXTREME PINING ALERT. The pining is emerging from his pants!

Even his peen is pining. It’s not even subtle.

 

 

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Posted by John Scalzi

July 4 is most of a week away, so I was not anticipating that outside my hotel window last night would be a full-fledged professional fireworks display. But it turns out the hotel I was at, was next door to a Masonic Temple compound, and I guess they had some premature patriotic fervor. Inasmuch as I got a free fireworks show I didn’t even need to leave my hotel room for (and it ended early enough that I didn’t lose any sleep over it), I suppose I can’t complain.

Back at home now. Not anticipating a fireworks display tonight. We’ll see if that prediction holds.

— JS

SBTB Bestsellers: June 14 – June 27

Jun. 29th, 2025 08:00 am
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Posted by Amanda

The latest bestseller list is brought to you by new projects, lots of coffee, and our affiliate sales data.

  1. The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley Amazon | B&N | Kobo
  2. A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers Amazon | B&N | Kobo
  3. Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows Amazon | B&N | Kobo
  4. Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots Amazon | B&N | Kobo
  5. An Immense World by Ed Yong Amazon | B&N | Kobo
  6. Not In My Book by Katie Holt Amazon | B&N | Kobo
  7. How to Tame a Wild Rogue by Julie Anne Long Amazon | B&N | Kobo
  8. The Geographer’s Map to Romance by India Holton Amazon | B&N | Kobo
  9. Ana María and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa Amazon | B&N | Kobo
  10. Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett Amazon | B&N | Kobo

I hope your weekend reading was full of good surprises!

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