cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/06/14/no-kings/

Posted by Athena Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56053

Today was the day of nation-wide protests, the rally of the No Kings movement. It was also my first time going to a protest, like, at all. Though I’m disappointed I’ve never been to one before, I figured there was no better time to start than now. And I was joined by over a hundred people in front of the Troy courthouse to show that Miami County isn’t all red, and some of us actually do oppose fascism.

I was nervous to go to a protest, and that fear is what has been holding me back from going to any for literal years. But I convinced myself it would be fine since it was Troy and I doubted there’d be any flashbangs or rubber bullets happening. As expected, everything turned out completely fine. It was a totally peaceful protest, and only lasted an hour. It was organized well, concise, and full of a feeling of community.

It was so amazing to see older folks and younger people alike coming together, and I saw a friend there who gave me a sign, so I was thankful for that. It was such a great feeling to look around and see everyone coming together for the same cause, to speak up against the tyranny and tell the world (or at least Miami County) “this is not okay.”

Me and Charlie standing outside, with a sign that reads

I’m glad I went. Sometimes it can feel like it doesn’t make a difference if you’re there or not, or that nothing will change just because of some protests, but it’s better than doing nothing. Silence is complicity, and I don’t want to be compicit. Silence only helps the oppressor. So even if my voice is only one of a million, at least I know it’s in there somewhere.

Make sure you use yours, too. We’re in this together.

-AMS

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/06/14/no-kings/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56053

alicevangeline

Camp:

( about camp orientation )( about camp orientation )

Protests:

( no faux kings )
---

Surprise Mail

( bittersweet surprise )

Virtual IOP program

( NOW IS THE TIME, BRO-ski )

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/whatcha-reading-june-2025-part-one/

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=146518

Hey hello! Welcome back to Whatcha Reading! Here’s how we’re kicking off June:

Lara: I’m currently reading Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess. ( A | BN | K | AB ) It’s women’s fiction, which is an unusual choice for me, but the premise had me curious. So far it’s compelling enough for me to make time to read, but not enough to make me sacrifice sleep. Will report back!

Claudia: Lara, I just started Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews!! I hope I get at least the same enjoyment as you did. So far so good.

Lara: I really hope you like it! I’m a sucker for (most) Mimi Matthews romances and this one really worked for me.

Sarah: I’m reading Atonement Sky, ( A | BN | K | AB ) Nalini Singh’s July Psy-Changeling book. It is fueling a desire to re-read the whole series. Again.

Elyse: I’m reading Soulgazer by Maggie Rapier.

Shana: I just finished A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen. ( A | BN | K | AB ) I loved it, but I thought the romance was a teensy tiny part of the book. Now I’m reading All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens ( A | BN ) and the hero is obsessed with the heroine in the BEST way. He has it bad, and I love every second of his misery.

A | BN | K | AB

Sarah: Am I nearly done with Slave to Sensation ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) and contemplating the next one? Yes. Do I have many other things to read? Also, yes.

Tara: I started reading Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma Alban yesterday and am enjoying it so far.

Carrie: I just finished One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. ( A | BN | K | AB ) It’s tough but necessary. I don’t like telling people “you have to read this!” Because it’s not my job to tell you what to read. But everyone should read this.

Susan: I’m just finishing up the latest volume of I Was Reincarnated as the Villainess in an Otome Game but the Boys Love Me Anyway! ( A | BN | K | AB ) and it should not be my jam as much as it is.

The protagonist tries to save her own life by preventing the other characters’ childhood trauma, but unfortunately that was load-bearing trauma, and now EVERYONE is obsessed with her. Her friends are at war for her attention. People are being disappeared for bullying her. Heavily implied that her entire staff are murderers. What is happening?! I am confused and delighted.

So, whatcha reading? Tell us in the comments!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/whatcha-reading-june-2025-part-one/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=146518

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/06/13/vacation-mode-on/

Posted by John Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56049

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/06/13/vacation-mode-on/

Hey, you know what happens next week? Krissy and I celebrate 30 years of being married. She and I are taking a little vacation to enjoy it together. You may not see me for, uhhhhhhh, a while. If I do show up, it will be pretty brief. Don’t worry, Athena will be around for you, and we have a lot of Big Ideas for you next week too. It’ll be fun. Just mostly without me.

Bye!

— JS

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56049

marthawells

* Interview with Sue Chan, the production designer:

https://filmstories.co.uk/news/murderbot-designing-a-future-world-that-doesnt-look-like-alien/

“I started out by taking the most ancient societies on each continent – Etruscans, Asian, European, and African cultures,” Chan tells us. “I looked at the most fundamental motifs and gathered them into a bible, then asked my team to imagine 100 generations from now, when the diaspora of Earth have chosen to live together in society. How would they evolve a unified set of symbols? A language that really honours where they came from.”

This informed the alphabet that can be seen in the decoration painted across the otherwise grey, corporate habitat the PresAux crew are leasing. At the same time, acknowledging how much of the crew is queer and polyamorous, the colours of the rainbow are also entwined into their decorations.

“All of that is mashed up but it has a fundamental logic to it,” says Chan.

* Interview with Akshay Khanna (Ratthi):

https://squaremile.com/style/akshay-khanna-murderbot-actor-interview/

I’m incredibly excited for people to watch Murderbot on Apple TV+. Sci-fi has been my favourite genre by a country mile forever, and being on a show like this has always been a career goal of mine. Frankly, I had too much fun filming that show, and getting paid to do it constantly felt like I was getting away with something on set.

And the show is just so good. I can confidently say it’s fantastic – and if you don’t like it, then I would gently tell you that it’s OK to be wrong sometimes.

* Interview with Sabrina Wu (Pin-Lee):

https://www.autostraddle.com/sabrina-wu-interview-murderbot/

And then once I got the role, I read the books and I was legit just blown away at how funny the books were. I just haven’t seen such a dry sarcastic sensibility with this kind of hero sci-fi stories. And then I also just really liked that it was in the tradition of I felt like Octavia Butler, where it’s like, “oh, this is a queer imagining of the future.” So I don’t know. I just thought it was a really sweet, funny, different world. I also, obviously every comedian who becomes an actor, their dream is to get to work on something with action to move beyond an It’s Always Sunny kind of comedy. I believe there was already an opportunity for me to be in a spaceship and shoot guns, and it just made me happy that it was genuinely funny source material.

* Video interview with Tattiawna Jones (Arada) and Tamara Podemski (Bharadwaj):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NllgfEekw9s

* And a video interview with Noma Dumezweni (Mensah)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZpigqUqZXQ

* and a video interview with Noma and David Dastmalchian (Gurathin)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=361cKOujISE

* And a video interview (with a transcript) with Alexander Skarsgard, Jack McBrayer, and Paul and Chris Weitz:

https://collider.com/murderbot-alexander-skarsgard-jack-mcbrayer-creators-paul-weitz-chris-weitz/

* And there is a profile of me in The New Yorker (!!)

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/do-androids-dream-of-anything-at-all

alicevangeline

a work situation is less dire than i thought.
I am not feeling as shitty today (pun intended) and am continuing to hydrate. I brought cheap ramen and frozen veggies for lunch. then i was thinking about the cute weird movie Ponyo and when they eat the tasty ramen
I've been waiting about the agency payment for summer camp, heard from agency, they'll expedite, i had to fill out a financial need form and thought maybe we wouldn't qualify but it looks like we do?
work is getting out today at 2:30 and summer hours in future (get paid for 40 hours but work 30 unless I have to do more)
girlkid unfortunately acquired the phenomenon known as Hell's Itch (from sunburn) but we fixed it and she felt better, and today she was being dramatic about school but it turns out it was more of 'being dramatic' than actual distress. I am glad she was able to do thumbs up and stuff.
also camp & therapies seem like the best I can do for each kid. I am going to trust myself on this - I KNOW that it all makes sense at the time.

by the way my remedy for Sunburn Hell's Itch is:
1. topical blend: aloe lotion + cbd lotion + cortizone lotion
2. take 2: advil + benadryl

(apparently the itch is a histamine response that happens to fairskinned people who get sunburned in the mountains?! )

Oh PS:
"better than I think" sounds a little like "I know you better than you fake it" which is a lyric from 1979 by the smashing pumpkins, which is a kind of optimistic summer song, kind of? (The double kind-of is on purpose. Kind-of reduces the adjective by 75-50%. A double reduces it twice that!)

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/mostly-kdds-3/

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=146487

Dukes Are Forever

Dukes Are Forever by Anna Harrington is $1.99! This is a historical romance with what seems to be an enemies to lovers plot. It’s the first book in the Secret Life of Scoundrels series. Some readers found the heroine a bit TSTL, but others really loved the hero and his quest for revenge.

ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE
Battlefields and barrooms hold much more interest for Edward Westover, Duke of Strathmore, than a little girl’s fondness for dolls and lace. When he takes possession of his enemy’s estate, everything that villain held dear-including his daughter-belongs to Edward. Hire a governess, arrange a dowry, give a few reassurances, and be off on his way-that’s Edward’s plan. But he’s in for the shock of his life. For his new ward is a beautiful, impetuous, and utterly irresistible woman . . .

. . . AND WAR
Kate Benton is stunned. Who is this arrogant, infuriating man who’s invited himself into her home and taken over her life? Her vow: to do everything in her power to convince him to leave her-and Brambly House-alone. Yet as chilly days melt into sultry nights, Kate sees glimpses of kindness underneath Edward’s cool façade . . . and a passionate nature that takes her breath away. There’s so much she doesn’t know about this man. But does she dare trust this devilish duke with her heart?

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Waiting for Tom Hanks

Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey is $1.99! Carrie gave this one a B-:

I was mostly charmed by the book. It was sweet but not too gooey, and I loved Annie’s through knowledge of the rom-com genre and her observation about how we can appreciate happiness all the more if we’ve also known loss.

A rom-com-obsessed romantic waiting for her perfect leading man learns that life doesn’t always go according to a script in this delightfully charming and funny novel.

Annie Cassidy dreams of being the next Nora Ephron. She spends her days writing screenplays, rewatching Sleepless in Seattle, and waiting for her movie-perfect meet-cute. If she could just find her own Tom Hanks—a man who’s sweet, sensitive, and possibly owns a houseboat—her problems would disappear and her life would be perfect. But Tom Hanks is nowhere in sight.

When a movie starts filming in her neighborhood and Annie gets a job on set, it seems like a sign. Then Annie meets the lead actor, Drew Danforth, a cocky prankster who couldn’t be less like Tom Hanks if he tried. Their meet-cute is more of a meet-fail, but soon Annie finds herself sharing some classic rom-com moments with Drew. Her Tom Hanks can’t be an actor who’s leaving town in a matter of days . . . can he?

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Just as You Are

Just as You Are by Camille Kellogg is $1.99! This is a f/f Pride & Prejudice retelling. Shana read this one and gave it a B-:

When I stopped trying to clock the ill-fitting Austen references in Just as You Are, I was able to enjoy the found family, the way the story explored gender nuances in queer dating, and an emotionally satisfying romance that kept me guessing.

The only thing worse for Liz than hating her unpleasant, standoffish new boss? Being incurably attracted to her.

Liz Baker and her three roommates work at The Nether Fields, a queer magazine in New York that’s on the verge of shutting down—until it’s bought at the last minute by two wealthy lesbians. Even though Liz is eager to leave listicles behind for more meaningful writing, she knows that she’s lucky to still have a paycheck. But it’s hard to feel grateful with minority investor Daria Fitzgerald slashing budgets, cancelling bagel Fridays, and password protecting the color printer to prevent “frivolous use.” When Liz overhears Daria scoffing at her articles, she knows that it’s only a matter of her time before her impulsive mouth tells Daria off and gets herself fired.

But as Liz and Daria get thrown together more and more, Liz starts to see a softer side to Daria—she’s funny, surprisingly helpful, and actually seems to like that Liz’s gender presentation varies between butch and femme. Even as the evidence that Liz can’t trust Daria piles up, it starts getting harder and harder to keep hating Daria—and harder and harder to resist her.

This page-turning, sexy, and delightfully funny rom-com celebrates queer culture, chosen family, coming of age, and falling in love against your better judgment.

You can find ordering info for this book here.

You, with a View

You, with a View by Jessice Joyce is $2.99! This is the only non-KDD out of the bunch. This was previously mentioned on Hide Your Wallet. Social media and road trip elements play a large part of this romance.

Two high school enemies must reunite for a road trip inspired by their grandparents’ broken engagement in this electric debut romance.

Noelle Shepard is unemployed, living with her parents, and grieving the loss of her beloved grandmother when she discovers decades-old photos of Gram and a smitten man, tucked alongside a love letter. She creates a TikTok to search for the mystery man, which goes viral, and she’s shocked when his grandson responds—a man who happens to be her high school nemesis, Theo Spencer.

Noelle refuses to let Theo’s annoying accomplishments in adulthood—or his sexy smirk—stand in the way of meeting his grandfather and unlocking the secrets he knew about her gram as a young woman. When she learns that their plans to elope were thwarted, Noelle decides to take the honeymoon road trip they planned but never got to carry out. There’s a catch, though: Paul, Theo’s grandfather, asks to come with her, and he insists that Theo join them.

It’ll be a miracle if they make it through the trip without Noelle throwing Theo out of the moving car—or the bed they end up sharing. As the miles tick by, the tension simmers hotter between them…until she discovers that Theo’s hiding a secret that could cause their tenuous relationship to end before it can restart.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/mostly-kdds-3/

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=146487

cakewrecks_feed

Posted by Jen

https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/a-cinderella-story-2025

You're never too old to imagine your own Princess Diaries moment, right? And mine goes something a little like this:

[harpsichord dream sequence music plays]

First, there's a whirlwind romance with the dashing stranger who looks like a cross between Nathan Fillion and Kiefer Sutherland during his Three Musketeers days.

(Awww yeeeeah.)

Next, we sink straight into the Fire Swamp.

No, no, just kidding.

Next we play Mario Kart together until 2AM.

Later, after dressing up as Venkman and Staypuft for Halloween (I'm Venkman, of course), and confessing our undying love for one another, there's a painfully romantic proposal:

Performed in an inflatable kiddie pool.

"Jen," my dashing prince would say, "Will you be my own Princess Peach?"

To which I would respond, "Are you kidding? Do Vulcans need the Pon Farr?
"(But we are going to Disney for the honeymoon, right?)"

And, BAM! I'm a princess! Next thing you know, I'm living in a castle...

"And over here is your TARDIS closet. As you can see, it is much, MUCH bigger on the inside."

...and wearing pretty princess crowns...

(Modeled after crabby Space Invaders, apparently.)

...and pretty princess dresses...

("Talk about your trunk space, check this action out!")

...and riding my Princess Vespa around...

(Ok, technically this would be a Princess Harley.)

...and...and...wait. You know what? Other than the castle and crown stuff, I've already got my fairy tale ending, complete with video game playing, Princess Bride quoting, and brownie baking prince. (Love you, Sweetie.)

So I guess I'll just end here by wishing all of you:

I like the short and fluffy ones, myself.

Thanks to today's dream team Debbie B., Anony M., Lisa V., Lisa P., Julia B., Vanessa C., & Stephanie S., who, for the record, never even knew fairies *had* tails.

*****

P.S. I found something for the princess who wants to wear something old, something new, something borrowed, and something poo:

Unicorn Poop Earrings

Don't stop believing, y'all. Dreams do come true.

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:

https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/a-cinderella-story-2025

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/podcast/671-rt-rewind-may-1995-reviews/

Posted by SB Sarah

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=podcast&p=146218

Amanda and I are traveling back to May 1995 – yes, thirty years ago.

I know, me too.

We’ve got weird reviews, outstanding side character names, a debut of a much-loved historical romance author, and a few side trips into pet names and fanfic ships in traditional publishing.

We’re talking about the past and the present at the same time, which is one of my favorite things to do when discussing romance fiction!

Listen to the podcast →

Read the transcript →

Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:

We also mentioned:

Visual Aids!

The color cover image of Something Wonderful by Martha Gross, featuring a man with wavy grey hair, almost in a 90s floppy style, looking over his shoulder as a woman with long brown hair (who looks a lot younger than he is) kisses his cheek

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

Thanks to our sponsors:

Podcast →

More ways to sponsor:

Sponsor us through Patreon! (What is Patreon?)

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

Thanks for listening!

Podcast Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Silent Retreat by Sally Quinn, one of Town and Country’s Must-Read Summer Books of 2025.

From bestselling novelist and DC powerhouse Sally Quinn comes a riveting tale of forbidden desire and spiritual reckoning.

When Sybilla Sumner checks into a monastery for a silent retreat, romance is the last thing on her mind. She plans to spend five meditative days surrounded by the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley—and apart from her famous husband and their crumbling marriage.

James Fitzmaurice-Kelly isn’t looking for romance either. He’s the Archbishop of Dublin, and has maintained a vow of celibacy for decades—even as he’s publicly questioned the church’s teachings. But as Sybilla and Fitz continue silently crossing paths, an undeniable charge builds between them, one that could see them abandoning their vows.

In this sophisticated, sexy, and soulful love story, novelist Sally Quinn explores the boundary between flesh and spirit, restraint and ecstasy, and asks what we’re willing to sacrifice in the name of passion.

Available now on Amazon in hardcover and e-book.

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

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/podcast/671-rt-rewind-may-1995-reviews/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=podcast&p=146218

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/06/12/why-licensed-music-works-so-well-in-megamind/

Posted by Athena Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56041

If you know me, you know one thing I complain about a lot (and probably more than any sane person should) is the use of licensed music in animated movies. I especially hate the use of licensed music in Illumination studio movies. Though, I can recognize that I am biased because I hate Illumination as a whole and dislike 93.3% of their movies (I did the math).

There is one movie, though, in which I find the licensed music to not only be tolerable, but enjoyable. Megamind is the only movie where licensed music is absolutely essential throughout the film, and integral to the very character of Megamind himself.

Megamind is a flashy, theatrical villain who is in it for the love of the game. He lives for the showmanship and flamboyant performances that are the fights between him and Metro Man. As he says in the final fight of the movie, the difference between a villain and a supervillain is presentation. And you can see this ideal of his throughout the film.

In the first interaction with Roxanne Ritchi, where she has been kidnapped and is in Megamind’s evil lair, he unveils all these supervillain-esque devices to her in hopes to come across as a threatening villain. There’s alligators, spikes, a disc blade sort of thing, a mini gun, even a flamethrower. She is impressed by none of it, of course, and his confidence deflates as she mocks him. She also asks where they get all their blinky dials and Tesla coils, to which Minion responds that they come from an outlet store in Romania.

As we can see from this exchange, Megamind goes out of his way to aesthetically meet the requirements of being a villain. So much so that he even buys fake equipment from overseas to look professional. Essentially, he has props. Because he’s a theater kid!

Megamind is obsessed with the pageantry of heroes and villains. We can see this in the exchanges he has with Metro Man and their “witty” banter about microwave warranties. He loves it so much that when he is training Hal to be a superhero, he specifically tries to teach him how to have that same back-and-forth like Metro Man did with him. Even during their first fight, Megamind says “Now it’s time for some witty back-and-forth banter!”

Right before this fight, Megamind accuses Hal of being “unprofessional” and that Metro Man would’ve never kept him waiting, because he was a pro. Hal isn’t “professional” enough for Megamind, and when Hal catches him after their fight and says he’s going to kill him, Megamind says “that isn’t how you play the game.” Proof that Megamind sees this all as a big stage play. It’s a game to him, and one he loves and takes great care in making sure all of the details and specifics are just right and fit his ideal narrative perfectly.

In this same vein, Megamind is obsessed with perfecting his outfit, the Black Mamba, for his first fight with Hal. He wants his costume to look good for his big battle. For what is a good show without the costuming department? In the beginning of the movie, he intentionally points out that he’s wearing custom baby seal leather boots just to prove to everyone he is the bad guy. Look how evil he is, see how dastardly Megamind is. He’s obsessed with painting this picture of himself that presents himself as heinous and diabolical.

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/06/12/why-licensed-music-works-so-well-in-megamind/

Which is exactly why all of the licensed music in this movie fits Megamind perfectly. More often than not, he is the one actually playing the music out loud. When he takes over Metro City, he tells Minion to “hit it” and plays “Highway to Hell” on a big boom box that Minion carries around. He proceeds to dance to it, and makes his smoke show entrance to city hall while it plays. For his final fight with Hal, he plays “Welcome to the Jungle” out loud and creates a huge smoke and light show with his Brain Bots. This is the part where he proclaims “presentation!” is the key to super villain. At the end of the movie, he plays “Bad” on an even bigger boom box and him and Roxanne dance to it.

The point here is that his music choices are intentional. The songs are tools that serve his purpose of painting himself as an iconic, nefarious villain. The licensed music isn’t just thrown in, it’s part of the world and a part of Megamind himself. It is intentional. And it works.

God, I love Megamind.

Do you like Megamind? Do you hate licensed music as much as I do, or am I just obsessed with something niche? Should I talk about why Despicable Me is the only good Illumination movie? Let me know in the comments, and have a great day!

-AMS

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56041

alicevangeline

Me: "I could do without antibiotic side effects. Happy Thursday."
Dan: "Hope it's still a net positive at least, sopping any life threatening infections or whatever. Happy Thursday!"

----
My guts are being insipid, like when Fred Armisen was like, 'I'm just a lil baby! I don't know how to do anything!' and they're like 'we don't have any flora, let's convert everything to liquid yayy'

also the rest of me doesn't feel GREAT (floaty, a little headachey, bone tired, occasionally noticing tooth or sinus issue) but hey, i would still take this over actual toothache any day of the week.

I'll keep hydrating and handwashing.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/fantasy-romance-reality-tv-more/

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=146344

From June 12-22, members can get two audiobooks from a curated selection for just one audiobook credit at Libro.fm.

Plus, the SWITCH* promo code gets folks three audiobooks for the price of one when they sign up for a new monthly membership—that means they could grab the SWITCH deal, and use their credits to get six audiobooks through the BOGO sale.*Note: code only works on the one credit a month plan and past members are not eligible.

Hot Earl Summer

Hot Earl Summer by Erica Ridley is $3.99! This is book five in The Wild Wynchesters series. The heroine is a bodyguard and the hero is impersonating his cousin. Have you read this one?

Bold, curvy Elizabeth Wynchester loves cuddling hedgehogs almost as much as she adores vanquishing villains with the sharp blade concealed inside her cane. Despite others’ opinions about her body and gender, nothing will stop her from seeing justice done. When her next mission drops her at the dastardly Earl of Densmore’s castle, she’s prepared to duel like gentlemen—only to be locked inside! Her trusty sword cannot defeat the castle’s hidden traps… or protect her heart from the devilishly handsome rogue guarding the keep.

When reclusive inventor Stephen Lenox agreed to impersonate his cousin for a few days, he didn’t expect the earl to vanish altogether. Nor could Stephen predict mounting death threats… or the arrival of a beguiling, blade-wielding spinster who declares herself his new bodyguard. As the earl’s enemies lay siege to the castle, Stephen fights his way past Elizabeth’s defenses. She’ll share his bed, but when the adventure concludes, she vows to sever their affair. Unless he can somehow convince a swashbuckling siren to surrender her heart…

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Love and Other Disasters

RECOMMENDED: Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly is $2.99! This is book one in the Nashville Love series, and the other books are also discounted. Tara and Carrie did a joint review and gave it a B+:

Tara: Overall, I really enjoyed this one! Dahlia and London were such wonderful characters, and I’m a big fan of cooking shows, so I know I’ll be reading Love and Other Disasters again. I’ll just be sure to stock snacks next time, because reading about so much amazing food made me hungry.

Carrie: I was delighted with this book overall. The supporting characters were fun (or loathsome, as the plot demanded). The character development was realistic and powerful. The romance was sexy and I can totally picture Dahlia and London as an old couple on a porch somewhere — I was invested in them for the long haul. This will be one of my comfort re-reads for sure!

The first openly nonbinary contestant on America’s favorite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut that USA Today hailed as “an essential read.”

Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself on the popular reality competition show Chef’s Special. Too bad the first memorable move she makes is falling flat on her face, sending fish tacos flying—not quite the fresh start she was hoping for. Still, she’s focused on winning, until she meets someone she might want a future with more than she needs the prize money.

After announcing their pronouns on national television, London Parker has enough on their mind without worrying about the klutzy competitor stationed in front of them. They’re there to prove the trolls—including a fellow contestant and their dad—wrong, and falling in love was never part of the plan.

As London and Dahlia get closer, reality starts to fall away. Goodbye, guilt about divorce, anxiety about uncertain futures, and stress from transphobia. Hello, hilarious shenanigans on set, wedding crashing, and spontaneous dips into the Pacific. But as the finale draws near, Dahlia and London’s steamy relationship starts to feel the heat both in and outside the kitchen—and they must figure out if they have the right ingredients for a happily ever after.

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Forged by Magic

Forged by Magic by Jenna Wolfhart is $1.99! We mentioned this one in Hide Your Wallet and on Cover Awe. I definitely purchased this one based on the cover. Did any of you pick it up for that reason?

A heartwarming, feel-good fantasy romance…with a helping of spice and only a pinch of danger.

Trapped in a tower by the emperor who conquered her homeland, Daella yearns for an escape. But as one of the few half-orcs left in the world, she knows she’ll never be free, much less find her own happily ever after.

Destiny takes an unexpected turn when the emperor offers her a deal. To earn her freedom, she must journey to the mysterious Isles of Fable and track down wielders of outlawed dragon magic. Eager to seize her chance, Daella agrees.

When a brutal storm tosses her ship off course, she washes up on the wrong island—right at the feet of Rivelin, a gruff but handsome elven blacksmith, who seems more likely to stab her than help her. To her surprise, he offers her shelter until the next ship passes through in six weeks’ time.

Daella soon realizes he’s hiding something big. It could be the very magic she’s been tasked to hunt down—the key to her long-awaited freedom. But as they bicker over the flames of his forge, her heart kindles with something she’s never felt before.

When his secrets finally come to light, Daella must decide what’s more her freedom from the wicked crown or the desires of her heart.

Forged by Magic is a complete, stand-alone fantasy romance novel set in the whimsical world of Falling for Fables.

You can find ordering info for this book here.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely

RECOMMENDED: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer is $2.99! This one was recommended to Carrie and she really enjoyed it, giving the book an A-:

I enjoyed the way this book both used and subverted Beauty and the Beast tropes. There’s a good blend of angst and humor and worldbuilding.

In a lush, contemporary fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Brigid Kemmerer gives readers another compulsively readable romance perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer.

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/fantasy-romance-reality-tv-more/

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=146344

cakewrecks_feed

Posted by Jen

https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/love-hurts-2025

As misunderstandings go, I'm not sure you can do much worse mangling the phrase "Getting hitched!" for an engagement party than this:

Oooh. Not good.

In the same vein, how's this for a bang-up job?

Not a word, Troy. NOT. A. WORD.

Thanks to Wreckporters Amy R. and Jenn G. for these knee-slappers.

******

P.S. Now that weddings are starting up again I've been keeping an eye out for sweet gift ideas, and I really like this one:

A Year Of Us: One Question A Day

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:

https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/love-hurts-2025

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/which-books-gave-you-the-perfect-one-off-reading-experience/

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=146386

Thanks to Jen B. for submitting this interesting take on rereading:

This is very random, but I thought of a topic for the SBTB editors to bat around: I know you’ve done comfort reads and favorite re-reads, but does anyone have a book that you read at such a perfect time in your life that you won’t re-read it, because it will never be as good? I had just moved to a new state, the pandemic lockdowns started the day after I arrived, I was in a half-furnished apartment, and I read Evvie Drake Starts Over. It was such a gentle, healing novel about finding yourself, and it was exactly what I needed. While I’m a big novel re-reader, I’ve never touched this one again because I don’t think it will ever hit me with that much force again. Does anyone else have a book like this? Or is this a me thing?

A | BN | K | AB

Sarah: It’s like the opposite of “in case of emergency, break glass” books – the “a perfect experience, place this behind glass”

In college we had a tiny shelf of popular novels (it was a tiny school) and there were occasional Elizabeth Lowell, Amanda Quick and Nora Roberts novels. Maybe 4? Not many.

But one day I picked up Charms for the Easy Life by Kaye Gibbons.

I don’t remember a single thing about this book except the tranquil and hopeful feelings that it left me with when I was done

If I went back now 30 years later, this book might not work for me at all. I just remember the experience of having it ease a considerable amount of stress at a time when I needed comfort.

I’ve never read it again.

A | BN | K | AB

Amanda: TW for depression

I’m not a re-reader typically, so I think this is an interesting way to view the decision not to reread books. I do worry that some of my favorites won’t hold up and I’m fine to just preserve that singular reading experience in my mind.

For me, I think I’d pick The Bride by Julie Garwood for my top spot of “perfect experience place behind this glass.” I was really deep into my depression and it was the year I read 212 books because all I did was read and make daily trips to pick up my library holds. (Shout out to the Alachua County library and their amazing Friends of the Library sales.) I really lost myself in this book and it gave my bad brain such a distinctive restful break. I’m perfectly okay with freezing that experience in time.

Sneezy: Oh dang, this is such a good question.

Sarah: Amanda, yes – exactly that. I was miserable and stressed and lonely and that book turned all that off for a while.

Sneezy: It’s not until I was thinking about this question that I realized I don’t want to reread Pride and Prejudice. The first time I read the book, it was a translated version edited for children. I did try when my English got better. I was excited to read a famous author in her native language, especially a book I had such fond memories of, but was never able to read more than a few pages. I felt guilty about it for a while, because it felt like a book I was ‘supposed’ to read and one I know I like. Reading what Jen, Sarah, and Amanda wrote made me realize it wasn’t a matter of want, but can’t. Of all the books I read before my family moved to Canada, somehow that book belongs specifically to Smol Sneezy, the one who’s yet to be hyphenated. It got ambered in dimming afternoons and extra thick white toast slathered with peanut butter and my mom’s favourite violin album, well beyond my reach.

A | BN | K | AB

It’s a little strange to realize this. It’s not a feeling of nostalgia in the sense that I yearn to return to that time, just a deep sensory memory that cannot be intruded on even if I wanted to. The book feels like an embodiment of paths forever closed, or perhaps more accurately, sacrificed to forge vastly different ones. I have great appreciation for what I have now, but it is a loss all the same.

Sarah: You were a different person when you read it, and you can’t go back?

As in, you and the circumstances around you were different and that can’t be replicated?

Lara: Such a great question! I went through a horrific breakup in 2011 and had temporary insomnia. By chance, a friend recommended the Carol Jordan and Tony Hill series by Val McDermid. I was wrapped up in it. Obsessive. It was precisely what my broken heart needed. I haven’t been tempted to revisit these books because they so perfectly met my needs in that moment.

Tara: I used to reread Jane Eyre at least once a year when I was in high school and university. I have a notoriously bad memory, but I remember the day my grade 9 English teacher handed it to me in the library because she thought I’d love it and she was right! Now, I can’t go back because I think Jane could have done so much better than Mr. Rochester. It’s better to have positive memories of it as a comfort reread than to bring my current lens and get mad about it.

What about you? Do you have special books that you can’t bring yourself to reread?

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/which-books-gave-you-the-perfect-one-off-reading-experience/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=146386

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/06/12/a-new-cover-song-god-only-knows/

Posted by John Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56037