Posted by Carrie S

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/after-dark-at-the-movies-mr-malcolms-list/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166912

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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https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/after-dark-at-the-movies-mr-malcolms-list/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166912

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/sbtb-2025-unhinged-romance-bingo-check-in/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166921

Hey all! We’re a little over halfway through our first ever SBTB Unhinged Bingo!

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

Here’s a card refresher:

This rendition of bingo is definitely a bit trickier and up for interpretation.

Are there any categories you’re struggling with? Let’s brainstorm in the comments!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/sbtb-2025-unhinged-romance-bingo-check-in/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166921

bunn

A local Facebook group is currently going nuts about the Appalling Behaviour of the Current Children. The Current Children have flicked balls of mud at a passing car!

Vaguely impressed they are out playing with mud in February, but I can definitely vouch that this is nothing to do with The Horrors of Modern Education, because 50 years ago, I and my friends did exactly this.

Though, so far as I recall, it was summer, because we scooped clay out of a convenient streambed to make our mudballs. The good thing about this was that there was a sort of tunnel that the brambles formed over the stream, so you not only had ammunition to hand, but also a handy escape route far too low, muddy and brambly for adults, in the rare event of the irate motorist noticing the crime in progress, leaping from their car shaking their fist. I think this only happened once.

sovay

In the wake of the blizzard, the temperature rose a degree above freezing in the blue-and-white brilliance of sun and the local topography of snow-walls to shoulder-height compressed and calved like ice shelves. I had the impulse to visit the Robbins Cemetery on Mass. Ave. while out running errands and was prevented by absolutely nobody having shoveled within a block of the gates. I took a picture of a leftover slam-dunk of snow instead.

Tickets have hiked considerably in price since the last production of theirs I attended, but I am intrigued that the Apollinaire Theatre Company is currently doing Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge—I assume it was proposed last season because of the topical-political of the undocumented immigrant angle which has only gone Mach 10 in relevance since. I have never seen the play; I read it in 2016 because Van Heflin originated the role of Eddie Carbone in the original 1955 one-act version. I am wondering how I convince their box office that I am actively pursuing a professional arts career.

Current Music: The Pack a.d., "Seasick"

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/cat-sebastian-historical-mystery-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166902

Detective Aunty

Detective Aunt by Uzma Jalaluddin is $1.99! This is book one in the Detective Aunty Investigates series. Book two in the series is out in May. We’re big fans of Uzma over here!

When her grown daughter is suspected of murder, a charming and tenacious widow digs into the case to unmask the real killer in this twisty, page-turning whodunnit—the first book in a cozy new detective series from the acclaimed author of Ayesha at Last.

After her husband’s unexpected death eighteen months ago, Kausar Khan never thought she’d receive another phone call as heartbreaking—until her thirty-something daughter, Sana, phones to say that she’s been arrested for killing the unpopular landlord of her clothing boutique. Determined to help her child, Kausar heads to Toronto for the first time in nearly twenty years.

Returning to the Golden Crescent suburb where she raised her children and where her daughter still lives, Kausar finds that the thriving neighborhood she remembered has changed. The murder of Sana’s landlord is only the latest in a wave of local crimes which have gone unsolved.

And the facts of the case are Sana found the man dead in her shop at a suspiciously early hour, with a dagger from her windowfront display plunged in his chest. And Kausar—a woman with a keen sense of observation and deep wisdom honed by her years—senses there’s more to the story than her daughter is telling.

With the help of some old friends and her plucky teenage granddaughter, Kausar digs into the investigation to uncover the truth. Because who better to pry answers from unwilling suspects than a meddlesome aunty? But even Kausar can’t predict the secrets, lies, and betrayals she finds along the way…

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

It Takes Two to Tumble

RECOMMENDED: It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat Sebastian is $1.99! This is book one in the Seducing the Sedgwicks series and Carrie gave it a B:

This is a great romance for readers who want something fairly short, beautifully written, and not too angsty.

Some of Ben Sedgwick’s favorite things:

Helping his poor parishioners
Baby animals
Shamelessly flirting with the handsome Captain Phillip Dacre

After an unconventional upbringing, Ben is perfectly content with the quiet, predictable life of a country vicar, free of strife or turmoil. When he’s asked to look after an absent naval captain’s three wild children, he reluctantly agrees, but instantly falls for the hellions. And when their stern but gloriously handsome father arrives, Ben is tempted in ways that make him doubt everything.

Some of Phillip Dacre’s favorite things:

His ship
People doing precisely as they’re told
Touching the irresistible vicar at every opportunity

Phillip can’t wait to leave England’s shores and be back on his ship, away from the grief that haunts him. But his children have driven off a succession of governesses and tutors and he must set things right. The unexpected presence of the cheerful, adorable vicar sets his world on its head and now he can’t seem to live without Ben’s winning smiles or devastating kisses.

In the midst of runaway children, a plot to blackmail Ben’s family, and torturous nights of pleasure, Ben and Phillip must decide if a safe life is worth losing the one thing that makes them come alive.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Fool Me Once

Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead is $1.99! This is a contemporary romance and the first in a series. However, there is a political (in Texas) element. I know I personally don’t love reading about politicians, government officials, and anything tangentially related since about 2016. Funny that.

In this fierce and funny battle of the exes, Ashley Winstead’s Fool Me Once explores the chaos of wanting something you used to have.

Lee Stone is a twenty-first-century woman: she kicks butt at her job as a communications director at a women-run electric car company, and after work she is “Stoner,” drinking guys under the table and never letting any of them get too comfortable in her bed…

That’s because Lee’s learned one big lesson: never trust love. Four major heartbreaks set her straight, from her father cheating on her mom all the way to Ben Laderman in grad school—who wasn’t actually cheating, but she could have sworn he was, so she reciprocated in kind.

Then Ben shows up five years later, working as a policy expert for the most liberal governor in Texas history, just as Lee is trying to get a clean energy bill rolling. Things get complicated—and competitive—as Lee and Ben are forced to work together. Tension builds just as old sparks reignite, fanning the flames for a romantic dustup the size of Texas.

Don’t miss The Boyfriend Candidate, Ashley Winstead’s next laugh-out-loud rom-com about learning to embrace living outside your comfort zone!

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Lost Apothecary

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is $2.99! This one has dual timelines and perhaps some slight magical elements. I remember it was pretty buzzy when it came out. Did any of you read it?

In this addictive and spectacularly imagined debut, a female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them—setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course.

Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.

Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose—selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.

With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating exploration of women rebelling against a man’s world, the destructive force of revenge and the remarkable ways that women can save each other despite the barrier of time.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/cat-sebastian-historical-mystery-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166902

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/habo-he-tries-to-kidnap-her-after-a-house-party/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166895

This HaBO request was submitted by Dionne, who wants to find this historical romance:

A bit of a long shot I’m trying to find the title and author of a book. I’ve gone through all my books and fear it may have been lost in a house move.

It’s a regency historical that was steamy/open door.

I only have a sketchy memory of it being about a book worm heroine who doesn’t need to look for a husband because she has a substantial inheritance so marriage isn’t anything she wants. She meets the hero at a house party that is being held for a week or two at a country estate. They are both guests. She’s there with an aunt or some relative.

He sees her reading in the gardens, behind a bush I think. She is avoiding socialising at the house party as much as possible to avoid fortune hunters. They converse back and forth.

They begin a secret affair whilst at the house party and he falls in love but she is adamant their time together is only for the duration of the house party. When it is time for him to leave he scoops her up out of bed and attempts to kidnap her after failing to persuade her to either marry or be his mistress. I can’t remember which one, but his sister, who is also in attendance at the house party discovers her in the carriage before he can get away…it’s an extremely funny scene…not sinister at all.

I remember the sister opens the door of the carriage, begins to get in, see’s the heroine gagged, bound and wide eyed in the corner of the carriage, pauses then backs out to speak to her brother.

I hope someone else remembers this book.

Can we HaBO?

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/habo-he-tries-to-kidnap-her-after-a-house-party/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166895

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/hide-your-wallet-february-24th-release-week/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166870

Happy Tuesday!

We have a decent of new releases this week to close out February! What a month! March is also shaping up to be equally as exciting.

What new releases are on your radar this week? Let us know in the comments!

A Crown of Stars

Author: Shana Abé
Released: February 24, 2026 by Kensington Books
Genre: Historical: European, Literary Fiction

A sumptuously vivid and poignant account of the Lusitania’s fateful last days, drawn from the true story of an extraordinary young actress who survived the unthinkable—for fans of Marie Benedict, Louis Bayard, Fiona Davis, Kate Quinn, and HBO’s The Gilded Age.

In turn of the century England, the Jolivet family lives a charmed existence. Daughter of a wealthy vineyard owner and a French pianist, vivacious Marguerite, the eldest of three, loves spinning stories and entertaining her family’s well-connected friends. No one is surprised when she announces, at 18, that she intends to become an actress. Her sister, Inez, a virtuosa violinist, moves to London with her. Soon the two beauties are being celebrated in the highest social circles.

Marguerite takes the stage name Rita, and quickly draws the attention of legendary theater producer Charles Frohman. From the West End to Broadway, and then in the new medium of silent film, Rita is known for her “sultry eyes, her mystic smile,” and her star burns brighter with every role. While filming in Italy, she’s courted by a charismatic aristocrat and Rita feels on the verge of a life even better than her dreams. Inez, meanwhile, has already found love, and travels the world with her adored husband.

Yet soon, war is raging across Europe. Rita, in New York for the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille’s The Unafraid, receives word from Inez that their brother is about to enlist. Hoping to see him before he departs, Rita books a ticket on the fastest steamer the RMS Lusitania. But the ship sails under a British flag, and the German government warns that all such vessels are fair game. Few believe Germany would risk attacking a ship carrying Americans, certainly not one as swift and imposing as the Lusy.

Once aboard, Rita is delighted to discover both Charles and her brother-in-law as fellow passengers.The days pass in a haze of parties and pleasurable pursuits, and the comforts of the luxury ocean liner are almost enough to calm Rita’s ripples of unease. But as the ship nears Liverpool, every assumption will be tested, and Rita, her family, and the world, will be changed forever by the voyage’s infamous and catastrophic end . . .

Amanda: I wouldn’t normally gravitate towards this, but it’s Shana Abe and she wrote one of my favorite historical fantasy romances, The Smoke Thief.

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Want this book? Here are helpful buy links..

Behind Closed Doors

Author: Shain Rose
Released: February 24, 2026 by Kensington Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Kept in Paradise #1

In the first standalone of her sizzling new series, bestselling author Shain Rose welcomes you to Paradise Grove, a luxurious, ultra-private billionaire enclave-where the stakes are high, and the secrets are buried deep . . .

He’s the forbidden enigma I wanted to ignore . . . but instead I’ll be forced to share a home with him.

Jameson Knight arrives at precisely the same time every day to pick up his young daughter from school, smiling as she runs into his open arms.

It’s the only time I see him smile.

I don’t ask questions because it’s not my place. I’m just his daughter’s favorite teacher, nothing more. . . . Until the first bullet flies by us at recess.

Suddenly, I’m risking my life to protect her. And then Jameson drags me back to his estate, claiming it’s a matter of life-or-death.

Now I’m in the most beautiful home I’ve ever seen, faced with an offer from a man who’s just as gorgeous: Be the temporary live-in nanny until he can ensure my safety and find a more permanent solution. It’ll be easy, he promises.

Yet, the arrangement is anything but simple.

Not when Jameson’s hungry stare is all consuming and his touch pulse racing.
And definitely not when I find that nothing in this neighborhood is as it seems, including Jameson.

He may be powerful, possessive, and protective. But he’s also dangerous, demanding, and calculating.

As more of his secrets come out, I should run but . . .
How do I escape the enigma of Jameson Knight if he’s already captured my heart?

Get ready for a rollercoaster of love, power, and betrayal in Paradise-where the stakes are high but the secrets are buried bone-chillingly low.

Amanda: I’m still very much on my dark romance kick!

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

The Heir of Whitestone

Author: Catherine Coulter
Released: February 24, 2026 by A John Scognamiglio Book
Genre: Gothic, Historical: European, Mystery/Thriller, Romance

A brilliant young innovator with a mysterious past and a boldly sharp-witted Lady uncover deadly secrets in #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter’s thrilling, new Victorian-era romantic mystery filled with daring escapes, exciting twists, witty humor, and characters you won’t soon forget.

When Alex Ivanov was 12, someone tried to kill him. Now, 11 years later, they still want him dead.

England, 1842. Queen Victoria reigns, Buckingham Palace is overrun with rats, and the streets of London are filled with intrigue.

Alex Ivanov is a brilliant young innovator, designing cutting-edge train engines. But Alex has a secret—he isn’t really Alex Ivanov. As a boy, he was pulled from the Thames, presumed drowned, with no memory of who he was. Rescued and raised by the formidable Ryder Sherbrooke, Alex has built a new life, but his past is catching up with him.

Lady Camilla Rohman has problems of her own. Trapped by a scheming stepmother and a family determined to see her married off, she is as clever as she is desperate. When fate throws her into Alex’s path, their connection is undeniable.

But as their whirlwind romance turns into marriage, danger follows. On their honeymoon, a series of deadly attacks make one thing clear—someone wants Alex dead. As they race to uncover the truth, old enemies and long-buried secrets come to light, leading them to a shocking revelation that will change everything…

Elyse: A new Coulter AND a gothic? Yes please!

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

In Her Spotlight

Author: Amy Spalding
Released: February 24, 2026 by Kensington Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Romance
Series: Out in Hollywood #4

For fans of Casey McQuiston, Alexis Hall, and Meryl Wilsner, an actually hilarious, sweetly sexy, gloriously relatable, second chance, sapphic rom-com from the acclaimed author of For Her Consideration, starring a franchise Hollywood actress aims to prove her chops in a theatrical production directed by her ex whose heart she broke a decade earlier.

Hollywood actor Tess Gardner is not the kind of famous she set out to be. She’s ready to show she’s more than Princess Platinum of the Vindicators series, a pretty face with CGI superpowers that literally sparkle. Tess wants to prove herself as an actor and that means theatre—the true calling of her thespian heart. But just when Tess lands a part working with an acclaimed stage director, a brewing scandal forces him out. His replacement? None other than hip, buzzy director Rebecca Frisch. The same Rebecca Frisch whose heart a firmly closeted Tess broke over a decade ago during summer stock . . .

As Tess wrestles with her lingering guilt and attraction to Rebecca, she also finds herself struggling to rein in her superstar status backstage. When things unexpectedly reignite with Rebecca, Tess bristles even more against the walls of her A-list life. Since the industry’s made it clear that girl-next-door superheroes can’t also be gay, coming out isn’t realistic for Tess. And ultimately, Rebecca will head back to New York and likely seek out a less complicated relationship anyway.

Will the curtain close on her chance for happiness or will Tess finally take a leading role in her own life?

Amanda: I’ll be talking to Amy about her latest release tomorrow at All She Wrote Books! Can’t wait!

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

The Trident and the Pearl

Author: Sarah K.L. Wilson
Released: February 24, 2026 by Orbit
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: The Fisher King #1

A desperate queen makes a deal with the gods to save her land in this spellbinding romantasy debut from Sarah K. L. Wilson.

Queen Coralys rules the Kingdom of the Five Isles, but when disaster strikes, killing her husband and destroying half her nation, she pleads with the gods for salvation. And they do save her, turning back the terrible winds and tide and snatching her islands from the brink of destruction.

But the gods have a wicked sense of justice and they demand an exchange for their Coralys must marry the first man to set foot on her pier. Coralys expects the fleet of a neighboring country to come to rescue her people, led by its prince, a loyal ally. What she gets instead is a fisherman so sunburnt and stinking that her court can barely keep their breakfast down.

Coralys marries the fisherman just as she promised the gods, and sets out with him in his unkempt dinghy, with nothing but hopes of revenge against the gods to keep her from despair. But what she does not know is that the fisherman is actually the god of the sea. And he stepped on her dock for a reason.

His own kingdom besieged, his body terribly wounded, and his place as a god threatened, the fisherman has plans to turn the tides set against him and finally offer a place of refuge for his people. But working the magic he needs will require the help of the one woman bent on his destruction.

Amanda: I’ve started this one already and it’s sooooo good.

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

The Regency Switch

Author: Helen Gaskell
Released: February 26, 2026 by HQ Digital
Genre: Historical: European, LGBTQIA, Time Travel, Romance

The Holiday meets Lost in Austen, with a sprinkling of Bridgerton steam… A gloriously witty, escapist and heartwarming romantic comedy about love, finding your people and living life to the full

***

Etta Moore expects nothing more from a Tuesday than another dull day in the office. But when her morning commute ends in Regency England, she is forced to accept the she and her ancestor Miss Henrietta Bainbridge – or ‘Mad Hetty’, as she’s known amongst the ton – have switched bodies.

Suddenly Etta and Hetty must get to grips with the new worlds they find themselves in. For Etta, it’s goodbye to dating apps and the daily commute and hello to the list of things ‘Ladies Do Not’ do. Luckily the dashing Lord Stanhope is on hand to aid her through even the most shocking of faux pas.

Meanwhile Hetty, who has always felt unseen and unknown, finds her truest self blossoming with the help of 21st century medicine and the most welcome attentions of her rather beautiful Adult Learning teacher, Stella.

Two hundred years away from everything they’ve ever known, might Etta and Hetty have actually found a place where they each truly belong?

Elyse: A Freaky Friday switch with an Austen-era ancestor. I’m excited to see how the historical characters manages the present day.

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

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/hide-your-wallet-february-24th-release-week/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166870

musesfool

It snowed until around 3 pm today! Just...so much snow. Friend L sent me a pic from her building in Manhattan and it was like the storm had barely had an impact, yet by me, even though the street had been plowed, it was all snowy again. Anyway, thankfully, my boss is also under about 2 ft of snow out on the island, so we are not going in tomorrow (the person who was supposed to come meet with us had their flight cancelled, so they never even made it to NY, so that will all get rescheduled, too). Whew.

Anyway, have some brief thoughts on recent TV:

- Shrinking: ( spoilers ) This show remains hilarious and endearing.

- Pluribus: I finished it and I don't love it but I am interested in seeing where it goes. ( spoilers )

- The Pitt: ( spoilers )

*

Current Mood: tired
Current Music: Irresistible - Fall Out Boy

lannamichaels

Title: Lumos.
Author:

lannamichaels
Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Series: Part 1 of Leontes Granger
Pairing: Hermione Granger/Neville Longbottom
Rating: G
Archives: Archive Of Our Own, SquidgeWorld

Summary: Leontes Granger is sorted into Gryffindor.

( The boy!Hermione fic )

sovay

The snow has plastered our windows like blinds. This morning it scudded so thickly down our street that the air itself couldn't have been any clearer: it made walls instead of veils of the late streetlight. The yew trees look like calcified humps of stalagmite. It's still blowing around out there, bending the whippier evergreens of the neighbors' yard like a wind sock. I can hear a commuter train whistling dimly from over Route 16. I am informed we have broken the previous state record for snowfall in a day set by the 1997 April Fool's Day Blizzard which had itself surpassed the Blizzard of '78. Our porch is drifted ankle-deep.

Current Music: Vampire Weekend, "Capricorn"

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/mostly-kindle-daily-deals-6/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166851

Lucky Bounce

RECOMMENDED: Lucky Bounce by Cait Nary is $2.99 and a KDD! Lara reviewed this hockey romance and gave it a B+:

If you’re looking for a book that will make you swoon from the giddiness of falling in love, then this book will hit the spot. Just don’t be too surprised when it ends abruptly.

“Lucky Bounce is a funny and charming hockey romance that I couldn’t put down.” – Rachel Reid, USA Today Bestselling author of Time to Shine

A single dad pro hockey player falls for his biggest fan—who just happens to be his five-year-old daughter’s teacher—in this fun, flirty romantic comedy from Cait Nary

Ezekiel Boehm is no stranger to teaching kids with famous parents. But when the pro hockey player he’s been thirsting after walks into the Rittenhouse Friends School gym hand in hand with a tiny kindergartener, he figures he must be hallucinating. Spencer McLeod is a lot of things—Zeke’s favorite winger on the Philadelphia Liberty; a menace on the ice; a mumbling, reluctant but somehow captivating-as-hell postgame interview—but he’s not a dad. Except he is. Apparently.

Zeke can be chill about this. He can.

Surprisingly, the more time he spends with Spencer, the easier this becomes. School volunteer events turn into reserved seats at games, turn into…more. And even though Zeke is 100 percent committed to ignoring Spencer’s blush, to ignoring the way he looks in that one pair of gray sweatpants, he can’t take his eyes off him.

This can never work. Can it?

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Love Interest

Love Interest by Clare Gilmore is $1.99 and a KDD! Gilmore’s 2025 release was my best book of the year and I rated it 5-stars on Goodreads. I’ll probably pick this one up, just to explore her backlist a bit more!

Casey Maitland has always preferred the reliability of numbers, despite growing up the daughter of two artistic souls. Now a twenty-four-year-old finance expert working in Manhattan, Casey wonders if the project manager opening at her company – magazine powerhouse LC Publications – is a sign from the universe to pursue a career with a little more sparkle. That is, until she’s passed over for the job in favor of the board chairman’s son.

Alex Harrison is handsome, Harvard-educated, and enigmatic. Everybody loves him – except for Casey. But when the two are thrown on the same project, they both have something to prove. For Casey, it’s getting tapped for a transfer to the London office and fulfilling her dreams of travelling. For Alex, it’s successfully launching a brand that will impress his distant father.

As work meetings turn into after hours, Casey and Alex are drawn to each other again and again, but neither can avoid the messy secrets and corporate intrigue threatening to tear them apart. What they discover about their own company might change everything – including the dreams each of them is chasing.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Re-Write

The Re-Write by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn is $1.99 and a KDD! This came out in August and was mentioned on Hide Your Wallet. It’s a second chance romance with some reality TV elements. (Not full one set on a reality TV program, but the hero got the villain edit on a reality TV show.)

In this lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers rom-com, two exes are faced with one deadline. Will they make it to the end?

Temi and Wale meet in London. They flirt, date, meet each other’s friends.

Then they break up. And Wale goes on a reality dating show.

Instead of giving in to heartbreak, Temi throws herself into her writing. She’s within touching distance of a book deal that would solve all her problems. But publishers keep passing on her novel and bills still have to be paid. So, when the opportunity to ghost-write a celebrity memoir arises, Temi accepts.

And, of course, the celebrity turns out to be Wale…

Will Temi and Wale repeat the patterns of their past? Or can they write a whole new story?

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Tangled Up in You

Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren is $1.99! This is the only non-KDD. This is book four in the Meant to Be Disney retellings series. I believe I’ve heard this one has some slightly darker elements than what you’d think, specifically about the heroine’s upbringing.

She has a dream. He has a plan. Together they’ll take a leap of faith.

Ren has never held an iPhone, googled the answer to a question, or followed a crush on social media. What she has done: read a book or two, or three (okay, hundreds). Taught herself to paint. Built a working wind power system from scratch. But for all the books she’s read, Ren has never found one that’s taught a woman raised on a homestead and off the grid for most of her twenty-two years how to live in the real world. So when she finally achieves her lifelong dream of attending Corona College, it feels like her life is finally beginning.

Fitz has the rest of his life mapped out: graduate from Corona at the top of his class, get his criminal record wiped clean, and pass himself off as the rich, handsome player everyone thinks he is. He’s a few months short from checking off step one of his plans when Ren Gylden, with her cascading blonde hair and encyclopedic brain, crashes into his life, and for the first time Fitz’s plan is in jeopardy.

But a simple assignment in their immunology seminar changes the course of both their lives, and suddenly they’re thrown out of the frying pan and into the fire on a road trip that will lead them in the most unexpected directions. Out on the open road, the world somehow shifts, and the unlikely pair realize that, maybe, the key to the dreams they’ve both been chasing have been sitting next to them the whole time.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/mostly-kindle-daily-deals-6/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166851

balashon_feed

Posted by Balashon

http://www.balashon.com/2026/02/agartal.html

The word אֲגַרְטָל agartal, meaning "vase" in Modern Hebrew, doesn’t look like a native Hebrew word. But it actually has a biblical origin. It appears in only one verse, in a list of vessels taken by Nebuchadnezzar from the Temple in Jerusalem and then returned by Cyrus:

וְאֵלֶּה מִסְפָּרָם אֲגַרְטְלֵי זָהָב שְׁלֹשִׁים אֲגַרְטְלֵי־כֶסֶף אָלֶף מַחֲלָפִים תִּשְׁעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים׃

"This is the inventory: 30 gold basins, 1,000 silver basins, 29 knives" (Ezra 1:9)

The verse only has the plural construct אֲגַרְטְלֵי־, so the singular isn’t written there. Older sources sometimes vocalized it אֲגַרְטֵל (agartél), but Modern Hebrew uses אֲגַרְטָל (agartál).

Agartal certainly refers to a type of vessel or container, but exactly which one isn't clear. Translations suggest basin (as above), along with bowl, platter, and dish. The Septuagint translation into Greek renders agartal as ψυκτήρ (psyktḗr) - a wine cooler, or cooling vessel. Some rabbinic sources, such as Ibn Janach, suggest it was a handwashing vessel or jug.

The construct form also leads to some ambiguity. While generally the understanding is of containers made of gold and silver ("gold basins ... silver basins"), some conjecture that they were made for holding gold and silver, in which case they could be baskets or bags made of other materials.

That possibility aligns with one theory as to the etymology of agartal. Klein writes:

Of uncertain origin. Prob. related to Aram. קַרטַלָּא, Gk. kartallos (= basket).

Another suggestion for a Greek origin, found in this article, proposes that it comes from κρατήρ (kratḗr). The author argues this fits better with "gold basin", since a krater is a large mixing bowl, which would be made from valuable metals.

Other theories suggest a Persian origin, often framed as a type of bag or container, or a Hittite word which might have meant basket.

Outside Ezra, the word is rare, but it later became the Modern Hebrew word for the fancy word "vase."

Sources:

http://www.balashon.com/2026/02/agartal.html

smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/cover-snark-community-submissions/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166825

Welcome back to Cover Snark! These covers were all sent in by the community!

Her Alien Matchmaker by Melissa Riddell. A shirtless, headless man with X tattoos at his ribs and collar bone. A big planet is in front of his waist.

From Jane Buehler: At first glance (small thumbnail) I thought he was shooting out a laser beam from his chest!

Sarah: That’s an interesting place for a stigmata.

Amanda: Why is he so grainy, like his skin is the texture of a basketball.

Sarah: Wait. WAIT. Whatever this cheetah-print thing is, it is both above and below his pec. What IS that?! Why is it partially encircling his pec? Why is it shooting out pink silly string? WHAT IS THIS.

And this is only the first cover. God help me with this set.

The Satyr in Bungalow D by Joyce Wadler. An illustrated cover of a resort in the background with a pool and cabanas in the foreground. There's a woman with a 1940s style bikini, a headband, white sunglasses, and a beach bag with a towel and books. She's talking with a man sprouting tiny horns. He has a button down shirt, unbuttoned, khaki shorts, and is holding ballcap in his hand.

From Jen: My cousin introduced me to you guys a while back. We have a regular cousin chat about your Cover Snark because it cracks us up.

Recently I was at a gift shop and saw this gem. I immediately shared it to the cousin chat and they encouraged me to submit it!

Thanks for giving us all so many laughs.

Sarah: At first glance this looks unremarkable, but the more I looked the tiltier my head got. Why does his chest hair patch match the small patch of hair on his arm? I’m presuming the Yankee’s logo is backwards on purpose but also ????

And her boobs are going in very different directions – unless she’s got one of those bathing suit tops that only holds in one tit and the other is free to roam. I Hate suits like that. Also she’s reading a book called HOWL and that’s very funny.

There are a lot of stylistic choices that I really like, and also some details that I do not get.

Claudia: I have one question — why he doesn’t seem to have eyes?

Sarah: I was wondering that, too! It looks like they got blurred or something? Why does she have features while he does not?

Amanda: Why are we not talking about the fact that he’s a satyr?!

Sarah: A satyr in that shirt!

Homebound by Meredith Trapp. An illustrated cover. A man and woman are kissing in an desert with cacti in the background. He has on a red button down with the sleeves rolled up and brown pants. She has wavy brown hair, white jeans with brown caps, and a blue halter top. She's holding a white cowboy hat in front of their faces, hiding them kissing.

From Marianne: This popped up in my edelweiss+ pre-approved and I had to embiggen because what was I even looking at? Who wears light beige jeans with their chaps???

Sarah: WHAT is WITH the cowboy-hat-hides-the-faces trend? Do people not like drawing faces? Or is kissing difficult (I imagine it is) to draw?

And WHY would anyone wear light jeans with chaps. I get that it’s a Look, but also it’s a Laundry.

Amanda: It reminds me of when you’re in middle school and you draw people with their hands in their pockets or behind their back so you can avoid it.

Sarah: “Where’s your teal and white cow print cowboy hat?”

“Why?”

“I need it for reasons.”

Jace by Alisa Woods. The background is a grainy wolve face with yellow eyes. In the foreground, a man with dark hair is lifting his dirty tank top. There are smears of dirt and/or grease on his arms and torso. One hand is grabbing his pec and the other is at his waistline.

From Deborah: Is he giving himself a simultaneous breast and pelvic exam under the watchful eyes of Dr Giant Tree Wolf?

Sarah: That’s a very intimidating way to do a breast exam.

Amanda: It also looks like he’s checking his crotch. Perhaps he’s just making sure everything is where it should be.

Sarah: So many cover models do that. Should we be worried?

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/cover-snark-community-submissions/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166825

musesfool

I got up to watch the hockey this morning and despite Team USA pulling it off in OT, I do not accept that Bill Guerin was proved right in his choices. Eighty-five percent of the game was played in their defensive end and they only won because Connor Hellebuyck stood on his head. Maybe a little more scoring power on the team could have given them some breathing room. I am just saying. I'm happy for Hellebuyck and the Hughes brothers, and I got a little teary when they brought out the Gaudreau jersey and his kids, and I'm not gonna lie, watching Jon Cooper and Connor McDavid (along with Sam Bennett, Tom Wilson, and Brad Marchand) lose was pleasing to me on a deep, personal level, but overall, I'd still have preferred the Finns or the Swedes take home the gold.

I then baked some oatmeal for breakfast for the week, and made macaroni salad for a few days of lunch, and then for dinner, I made angel hair as planned, though when I actually read the recipe, it was not anything new to me - it was what I always do for a super quick tomato sauce, except they were adding chile crisp to it, which I guess is the thing nowadays - every recipe I read has chile crisp in it, but I'm not really a chile crisp person. I have the heat tolerance (in terms of spiciness, though I also don't like my food super hot temperature-wise either) of the whitest baby you know.

Anyway! It is a super easy but delicious meal and if you don't mind waiting a few extra minutes, you can do it all in one pot. Boil your pasta - angel hair is best for this, imo - and reserve a cup of pasta water before you drain it. Return the pot to the stove over low heat and add in a nice glug of olive oil (2 tbsp if you need a measurement), and then add a whole can or tube of tomato paste to the oil (so between 4 and 6 oz). Stir it around and season it as you like - I used garlic and onion powder, oregano and red pepper flakes and salt, but if you want to get fancy, you could probably saute a diced shallot and some minced garlic in the oil for a minute or two before adding the tomato paste - for 2-3 minutes, until it's all hot and sizzling. If you are so inclined, add chile crisp to suit your taste. Then add the pasta back, and about half the reserved water and toss it until the pasta is coated. I only used 4 oz of angel hair, so if you have more, you might need more water. Then put it in bowls and sprinkle it with parmesan cheese. If you are in an even bigger rush, you can sizzle the tomato paste in a frying pan while the pasta cooks and then combine it all back in the pasta pot. The couple of minutes you save isn't worth having to wash an extra pot to me, but it might be to some people.

*

Current Mood: productive
Current Music: Cruel Summer = Taylor Swift

sovay

I spent much of yesterday running pre-blizzard errands, but the local state of the parking spots is the truest gauge of the meteorology about to go down.

I have not yet managed to get hold of her memoir, but I deeply appreciate being notified of the existence of E. M. Barraud, who identified herself with chalk-cut hill figures, candidly described her relationship status as "technically single, but 'married' in a permanent homosexual relationship with another woman," published under her assigned initials and was known in Little Eversden where she worked for the Women's Land Army as John. She gave her wartime responses for Mass-Observation as both a man and a woman: "People are people, not specifics of a gender." I had never even encountered her poetry.

Current Music: Pram, "The Owl Service"

liv

I want to talk about the education privilege meme that's been doing the rounds. On the one hand I love old-school memes that encourage lots of cool people on my d-roll to talk about their experiences growing up. But at the same time, I'm kind of frowning at this particular iteration.

( thinky thoughts )

Anyway, hopefully this is an adequate substitute for the meme and you don't need me to tell you in detail how absurdly precocious I was in reading and maths.

Current Mood: cynical

smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/sbtb-bestsellers-february-7-february-20/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166785

The latest bestseller list is brought to you by nostalgia, Girl Scout Cookies, and our affiliate sales data.

Give Me a Reason by Jayci Lee Amazon | B&N | Kobo
New Zealand Ever After by Rosalind James Amazon
The Bone Raiders by Jackson Ford Amazon | B&N | Kobo
Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston Amazon | B&N | Kobo
The Second Death of Locke by V.L. Bovalino Amazon | B&N | Kobo
How Not to Hex a Gentleman by Valia Lind Amazon
How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks Amazon | B&N | Kobo
Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite Amazon | B&N | Kobo
Someone to Honor by Mary Balogh Amazon | B&N | Kobo | GooglePlay
How to Sell a Romance by Alexa Martin Amazon | B&N | Kobo

I hope your weekend reading was fabulous!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/sbtb-bestsellers-february-7-february-20/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166785

smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/sunday-sale-digest-70/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166755

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!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/sunday-sale-digest-70/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166755

musesfool

This afternoon, I made this lemon cake because 1. I had an open container of ricotta I wanted to use up before it spoiled, and 2. I've been looking for a nut-free alternative to my favorite lemon cake since one of my nieces has a tree nut allergy. It turns out I did not have enough ricotta, but I made it up with sour cream, and the cake seems fine. It did stick to the pan in one small spot so I didn't take a picture of it since it had a gash in it, but it tastes great. The trick of adding turbinado sugar to the glaze to make it crunchy is a good one, too.

I also made dressing for coleslaw, which I've never done before - always just bought the pre-made deli version - and it's ok, not great. Not tangy enough, tbh. I wonder if replacing some of the mayo with buttermilk is the way to go. I ate some with a steak I pan-fried for dinner and that was nice. I don't have steak very often, but sometimes it goes on sale and I get it.

We're supposed to be getting between 12"-18" of snow tomorrow/Monday (wait, I just checked, and the current forecast is 39% likelihood of at least 18" if not more, wow), and I'm supposed to go into the office on Tuesday, so I guess we'll see what actually materializes, whether the streets are cleaned, and how I feel on Tuesday morning. Supposedly we're getting a free lunch, but I don't know when the consultant who is supposed to be buying it for our in person meeting is flying in, idk what is going to happen. There was some back and forth on Teams today about the storm and they are notifying everyone to be remote on Monday, which is the smart choice.

Anyway, my menu is not very cozy - I was planning on making that lemony macaroni salad for lunches, and some baked oatmeal with cherries and chocolate chips for breakfast. I do have bread, milk, and eggs, so there could always be French toast! Though I did make that on Wednesday when I realized it was Ash Wednesday (and that I'd completely forgotten Shrove Tuesday). I'll probably have pasta for dinner tomorrow regardless, since it's Sunday.

Today, I watched Batman Ninja, which features the Batfamily time traveling back to feudal Japan (but so much Joker and I am so tired of Joker), and then its sequel, Batman vs. the Yakuza League, which I enjoyed more because it has Wonder Woman in it and she's fantastic as always. It also features ( I guess this is a spoiler ) It was weird to me though that we got 4 Batboys (Jason's feudal Japan headgear is HILARIOUS), but no Cass or Babs at all, and I didn't love the art for Selina. Someday we'll get an animated version of Wayne Family Adventures and the girls and Duke will get their due!

*

Current Mood: pleased
Current Music: So Far Away - Carole King

thistleingrey

I've finished the green Lille Kolding (former low-attention project for waiting variously). Without knowing, I added the right number of stitches to make it possible to drape atop my head, cross under my chin, and tie behind my neck on very cold mornings. Guess I've already made myself a hood, stereotypical-babushka style. (The neck protection from crossing the ends is helpful when it's cold.)

The much-revised slipover or sleeveless pullover is okay for shoulder/yoke/mid-torso, which means it'll be sloppily fine otherwise. Though its neckline is larger than I'd intended, it's similar to how the pattern's model wears the official sample; adding the pattern's edging near the end will pull it in a bit. That's so much better than my earlier tries with other patterns, which followed conventional measuring instructions and then wouldn't let my arms in.

The current slipover's editing struggles may've bestowed enough info to allow knitting myself summery sleeveless or cap-sleeve tops. Then perhaps I can see about editing saddle-shoulder tops with sleeves.

Post-shingles, I may even be able to wear summery tops, now that thermoregulation seems slowly to be righting itself, and now that stuff beneath my skin is no longer upset by sunlight. Going out in the sun has been good for other reasons; I'd keep all those times if there were magically a chance to redo. But I'm glad I'm past when there wasn't enough air sometimes to speak properly, overlapping it.

The only link that came to mind while I wrote this post is Cocoon Chokki, which looks lovely and would never be drop-shoulder on me. After knitting several oversized drop-shoulder garments that weren't, I can quit trying it as a workaround for garment drape/fit, heh.

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wendylove

February 2026

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Page Summary

smartbitches_feed - After Dark at the Movies: Mr Malcolm’s List
smartbitches_feed - SBTB 2025 Unhinged Romance Bingo Check-In
bunn - I was that delinquent
sovay - None of us are traitors till we are
smartbitches_feed - Cat Sebastian, Historical Mystery, & More
smartbitches_feed - HaBO: He Tries to Kidnap Her After a House Party
smartbitches_feed - Hide Your Wallet: February 24th Release Week
musesfool - all your flaws are aligned with this mood of mine
lannamichaels - "Lumos." (Harry Potter) G
sovay - Sifting through centuries for moments of your own
smartbitches_feed - Mostly Kindle Daily Deals!
balashon_feed - agartal
smartbitches_feed - Cover Snark: Community Submissions
musesfool - i don't wanna keep secrets just to keep you
sovay - The bones of houses show in the summertime
liv - Education privilege
smartbitches_feed - SBTB Bestsellers: February 7 – February 20
smartbitches_feed - Sunday Sale Digest!
musesfool - it would be so fine to see your face at my door
thistleingrey - current stitching, and

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Reading

Detective Aunty

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It Takes Two to Tumble

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Fool Me Once

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The Lost Apothecary

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A Crown of Stars

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Behind Closed Doors

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The Heir of Whitestone

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In Her Spotlight

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The Trident and the Pearl

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The Regency Switch

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Lucky Bounce

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Love Interest

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The Re-Write

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Tangled Up in You

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