denise posting in

A reminder to everyone that starting tomorrow, we are being forced to block access to any IP address that geolocates to the state of Mississippi for legal reasons while we and Netchoice continue fighting the law in court. People whose IP addresses geolocate to Mississippi will only be able to access a page that explains the issue and lets them know that we'll be back to offer them service as soon as the legal risk to us is less existential.

The block page will include the apology but I'll repeat it here: we don't do geolocation ourselves, so we're limited to the geolocation ability of our network provider. Our anti-spam geolocation blocks have shown us that their geolocation database has a number of mistakes in it. If one of your friends who doesn't live in Mississippi gets the block message, there is nothing we can do on our end to adjust the block, because we don't control it. The only way to fix a mistaken block is to change your IP address to one that doesn't register as being in Mississippi, either by disconnecting your internet connection and reconnecting it (if you don't have a static IP address) or using a VPN.

In related news, the judge in our challenge to Tennessee's social media age verification, parental consent, and parental surveillance law (which we are also part of the fight against!) ruled last month that we had not met the threshold for a temporary injunction preventing the state from enforcing the law while the court case proceeds.

The Tennesee law is less onerous than the Mississippi law and the fines for violating it are slightly less ruinous (slightly), but it's still a risk to us. While the fight goes on, we've decided to prevent any new account signups from anyone under 18 in Tennessee to protect ourselves against risk. We do not need to block access from the whole state: this only applies to new account creation.

Because we don't do any geolocation on our users and our network provider's geolocation services only apply to blocking access to the site entirely, the way we're implementing this is a new mandatory question on the account creation form asking if you live in Tennessee. If you do, you'll be unable to register an account if you're under 18, not just the under 13 restriction mandated by COPPA. Like the restrictions on the state of Mississippi, we absolutely hate having to do this, we're sorry, and we hope we'll be able to undo it as soon as possible.

Finally, I'd like to thank every one of you who's commented with a message of support for this fight or who's bought paid time to help keep us running. The fact we're entirely user-supported and you all genuinely understand why this fight is so important for everyone is a huge part of why we can continue to do this work. I've also sent a lot of your comments to the lawyers who are fighting the actual battles in court, and they find your wholehearted support just as encouraging and motivating as I do. Thank you all once again for being the best users any social media site could ever hope for. You make me proud and even more determined to yell at state attorneys general on your behalf.

jhetley

Roadkill limited to a couple of gray squirrels becoming one with the asphalt. Interesting aviation over at the base consisted of two monarch butterflies, seemed to be flapping east rather than southwest. Also had a couple of commercial planes, but no military traffic. Not even OPSEC craft, which I usually don't report.

Temperature warmed up to 60 F, not much wind, so got on the bike across town and back. Did not die.

15.73 miles, 1:29:53

james_davis_nicoll

I didn't win any awards in August but I did review 22 more works. James Nicoll Reviews is now 34 reviews away from its 3000th review.

August 2025 in Review

james_davis_nicoll

Marooned on a backwater planet, a down-on-his-luck actor sets out to transform his new home. Will he survive success?

Always the Black Knight by Lee Hoffman

jhetley

Air temperature 51 F, wind west about 3 mph, partly cloudy. Bike ride will have to wait on more molecular motion out there.

smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/sunday-sale-digest-46/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150948

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.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/sunday-sale-digest-46/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150948

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/get-recd-with-amanda-volume-97/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150995

Hello, everyone!

This edition has a couple, somewhat topical non-fiction titles. That’s kind of where my brain is out right now. There’s also some translated magical realism and a crafting book.

Are there any books you’d like to recommend? Drop them in the comments!

The Chaos Machine

I wouldn’t say this is an uplifting read, but it sure is eye-opening. I think it’s especially pertinent right now.

From a New York Times investigative reporter, this “authoritative and devastating account of the impacts of social media” (New York Times Book Review) tracks the high-stakes inside story of how Big Tech’s breakneck race to drive engagement—and profits—at all costs fractured the world. The Chaos Machine is “an essential book for our times” (Ezra Klein).

We all have a vague sense that social media is bad for our minds, for our children, and for our democracies. But the truth is that its reach and impact run far deeper than we have understood. Building on years of international reporting, Max Fisher tells the gripping and galling inside story of how Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social network preyed on psychological frailties to create the algorithms that drive everyday users to extreme opinions and, increasingly, extreme actions. As Fisher demonstrates, the companies’ founding tenets, combined with a blinkered focus on maximizing engagement, have led to a destabilized world for everyone.

Traversing the planet, Fisher tracks the ubiquity of hate speech and its spillover into violence, ills that first festered in far-off locales, to their dark culmination in America during the pandemic, the 2020 election, and the Capitol Insurrection. Through it all, the social-media giants refused to intervene in any meaningful way, claiming to champion free speech when in fact what they most prized were limitless profits. The result, as Fisher shows, is a cultural shift toward a world in which people are polarized not by beliefs based on facts, but by misinformation, outrage, and fear.

His narrative is about more than the villains, however. Fisher also weaves together the stories of the heroic outsiders and Silicon Valley defectors who raised the alarm and revealed what was happening behind the closed doors of Big Tech. Both panoramic and intimate, The Chaos Machine is the definitive account of the meteoric rise and troubled legacy of the tech titans, as well as a rousing and hopeful call to arrest the havoc wreaked on our minds and our world before it’s too late.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

How to Survive a Plague

This also has a documentary of the same name, which I believe came out before the book. One of my more politics-involved friends is reading it right now as a way of connecting more with science activism causes.

A definitive history of the successful battle to halt the AIDS epidemic, here is the incredible story of the grassroots activists whose work turned HIV from a mostly fatal infection to a manageable disease. Almost universally ignored, these men and women learned to become their own researchers, lobbyists, and drug smugglers, established their own newspapers and research journals, and went on to force reform in the nation’s disease-fighting agencies. From the creator of, and inspired by, the seminal documentary of the same name, How to Survive a Plague is an unparalleled insider’s account of a pivotal moment in the history of American civil rights.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon

Imagine if Before the Coffee Gets Cold and The Teller of Small Fortunes had a cousin.

A suspenseful magical realism novel about a mysterious teenage “Go-Between” who arranges meetings between the living and the dead, from multimillion copy Japanese bestselling author Mizuki Tsujimura.

I bring together the living and the departed. I am the Go-Between.

When a young woman from Tokyo contacts the Go-Between to request a meeting with a deceased TV star who once helped her, she doesn’t expect a teenage boy to show up. Dressed in a designer duffel coat and carrying a tattered notebook, Ayumi Shibuya, our mysterious intermediary, offers an extraordinary he reunites the living with their dearly departed. Meeting his clients at a luxury hotel, Ayumi lays down the ground each reunion is a one-time arrangement that the dead can refuse; the service is entirely free, and the meeting must take place during a full moon.

As Ayumi arranges these reunions, we encounter a resentful eldest son who wants to ask his mother to unearth the deeds to a plot of land; a teenage girl who blames herself for her best friend’s death; and a weary businessman seeking answers about his fiancée’s disappearance days after he proposed. With each rendezvous, clues begin to surface, leading readers to unravel the mystery of the boy in the duffel coat, whose own story is eventually revealed.

A runaway, multimillion copy bestseller in Japan, Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon is storytelling at its finest, from an international sensation whose work has been hailed as “strange and beautiful” (The Guardian). With an artful balance of heart and mystery, Mizuki Tsujimura creates an unforgettable page-turner in which the living and the dead are given one last chance for closure.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Unofficial Bridgerton Embroidery

Is it too early to start talking about gift books for the holidays?

Create elegant, Regency-inspired embroidery projects with Unofficial Bridgerton Embroidery, bringing the opulence of your favorite Netflix drama to your stitching.

Inspired by the hit Netflix series and Julia Quinn’s bestselling books, this collection of in-the-hoop embroidery projects lets you stitch your way into the lavish world of Bridgerton. With easy-to-follow instructions and stunning designs, you can create elegant keepsakes and accessories fit for royalty. Perfect for both beginners and experienced embroiderers, each project captures the beauty, charm, and drama of the Bridgerton universe.

Whether you’re looking to re-create the grandeur of Lady Danbury’s diadem or craft a project reminiscent of the Featherington sisters’ vibrant wardrobe, this book offers everything you need to bring the magic of Bridgerton into your stitching. Easy-to-follow step-by-step tutorials for basic embroidery stitches help embroidery debutants stitch projects fit for Queen Charlotte, while experienced stitchers of The Ton enjoy recreating iconic motifs!

20 unique in-the-hoop embroidery: Beautiful designs inspired by the Bridgerton series and popular motifs of the Regency era.

Step-by-step instructions for basic: From beginner-friendly to advanced projects, you’ll be able to make any design with the comprehensive stitch guides.

Go beyond the master in-the-hoop methods and create stunning pieces with ease.

High-quality photos and visual guides help you bring the opulence of Bridgerton into your home.

Unofficial Bridgerton Embroidery is your ticket to creating handcrafted pieces inspired by the beloved world of Bridgerton—perfect for gifts, home décor, and more!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/get-recd-with-amanda-volume-97/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150995

jreynoldsward

(alas, no pictures because Dreamwidth insists that I link to something with a URL. SIGH.)

One of the reasons I like being self-published is the ability to look at things I’ve put out there and say “well, that didn’t work. The foundation of the story is good, but it’s not resonating with readers…let’s try something different!”

(note: this is often after sending this out to betas and having editing done. I don’t want lectures about the joys of critique groups, traditional publishing, etc etc ad nauseum.)

Sometimes that means ripping apart a story and rewriting it (which is happening right now with Klone’s Stronghold: Reeni) for various reasons.

More often it’s quick fixes of typos, updating the back matter and…creating a new cover. I started learning how to make semi-decent covers early on in my self-publishing days, when I got ripped off by a cover artist working through someone trying to set up their own hybrid publishing company. Not only did the artist not come anywhere near the concept, but the pricing was way out of line for the times (and given what the quality was, would still be way out of line. Though I suspect the current equivalent would be someone dashing it off using AI).

I started doing my own covers instead of working with a designer regularly because I was also putting out short stories and the cost was just too high. I didn’t like the results working with cover creation programs offered by several distributors, either. Plus I also tend to take pretty decent photographs. Making covers using my own pictures for background images seemed to be a pretty sweet notion.

As a result, I downloaded GIMP and started wrestling with it. GIMP is a perfectly good enough program, but…I started looking elsewhere after a while because it was always a fight to get everything done correctly. One friend does her covers in PowerPoint. I tried it and, well, it was still a wrestling job. Then I ended up with BookBrush and, for me, it’s well worth the expense. I don’t just do covers in it, I do promotional material.

Keep in mind that I’ve been told I have a decent eye for colorways, based on my quilting and my past history making beaded jewelry. Not everyone can do that. I also dedicate some amount of time looking at current covers, taking a few courses here and there, and studying what may or may not work.

The biggest challenge, however, is finding background images that work. I’ve learned the hard way that I have to modify my picture taking in order to create useable cover pictures (though I will use them in promo stuff). Then there’s the challenge of AI-generated images. I won’t use AI, so for a while last year I thought that meant no images on my covers unless they were pictures I’ve taken myself. I couldn’t find anything in my various photo sources that both fit and were uploaded before AI became a thing.

Then…something changed, as evidenced by those two covers above. The original Becoming Solo cover was kinda okay, but it was quickly outdated color-wise and font-wise. I stumbled across that image a week ago while doing something else in BookBrush, and looked up the licensing source data. Imagine my happy surprise when I discovered that this image was created in the twenty-teens, pre-AI. I added an updated font and…I like this cover so much better. To me, it hints of the darkness within that story, not just the choices that the main character Yesenia has to face but a secondary character with darkness within her, Shadow the Question, who has seen the destruction of a Magic Fair first-hand.

(yes, there will be a sequel, no, I don’t know when or what it will be about. Might be Shadow’s story. Might not be. Still brewing in the backbrain.)

The Crucible cover came about from the same sort of poking around—in fact, I discovered both images at the same time. When I was putting together the covers for The Cost of Power trilogy last year, I just couldn’t find anything that worked. I was fiddling with a promotional trailer for the trilogy’s omnibus edition and…this image came up. I took one look at it and realized that this picture of a man with a gun was Gabriel Martiniere throughout this series, but even more so for the second book, Crucible, where Gabe struggles with a LOT of issues and bad choices, in the face of increasing desperation because he can’t admit that he still wants a way out from the Martiniere Family. Which leads to…problems.

I looked up the upload date and, again…a twenty-teen upload. Perfect! The same held true for the other two books of the trilogy as well as the omnibus. Why I couldn’t find them a year ago I don’t know, but I was more than happy to replace the plain brown and gold covers in Cinzel Decorative font (which is in EVERYTHING right now, especially romantasy—I fear it is going to be the next Papyrus as far as people not wanting to see it). Add in the Black Ops One font and the tone…fit.

(the other two covers involve lightning striking two hills…which fits the ending of book one, and a cutout of two lovers looking at each other against a background of a heart made up of sparks, which fits what happens in book three. The omnibus cover is flame against darkness. All twenty-teen uploads, again.)

Sometimes my cover fiddling works and makes me happy, like these covers. Or the covers for my Netwalk Sequence series. Others…well, I’m still struggling with some of the main Martiniere Family Legacy covers. That may be an issue of the fonts. Same for the Goddess’s Honor fantasy series because I haven’t been happy with any of the covers. The original ones by a designer are outdated, alas. Fantasy covers are a big challenge because there is so much AI out there.

But…I’ll keep looking around. Sooner or later I’ll find what I need…as I just discovered.

When the time is right….

rolanni

Saturday

Opening Ceremonies for Firefly’s fifth birthday consisted of me, and my trusty meter stick, retrieving five springs from beneath the bed!

The Birthday Cat assisted by trying to wrestle the meter stick out of my hands while retrievals were underway.

It was very exciting. So exciting that Birthday Cat and spectators are now having a wee dram of cat food to recruit their strength.

Birthday Cat demonstrating singleton hall blocking technique.

So the rock show is a roaring success and I hope the vendors have a profitable weekend. When I arrived at the site, a little after 10:30 (show opened at 10), the lower parking lot was already full, so I parked up top, which was, eh, about a third full.

The room was very crowded, and I had a good time talking rocks, asking questions, getting confusing answers, and all such things that we do at shows of this nature. In fact, it was a lot of fun right up until the point when I should’ve met up with Steve at our prearranged point, so I could show him all the Very Cool Things I’d seen, and he could ditto, which I guess is never going to stop being A Thing.

I will say that things have gotten much more expensive than the last time I was at that rock show, which will have been a year or two before Steve died.

I did manage to buy a pair of hammered silver earrings, which I guess now that I have holes in my ears again, with be A Thing, and some tiger eye marbles and a piece of rutilated quart, because of course I did.

At this show people were differentiating their rutilated quartz — this piece had tourmaline inclusions, this had gold — which was instructive. There’s also a new way of cutting and polishing fragments of geodes, so that the rock the crystals live in is smooth and shaped to be a kind of holder, like an art piece. Very pretty. No, I did not buy one.

I am … very tired, despite having slept a long time last night, with the window open so I could hear the rain. I’m cooking macaroni and steaming some frozen peas, and that’s looking like lunch. Then I’ll see what else is on the schedule.

Here’s a picture of the astronomically correct moon necklace Steve gave me for my 60th birthday, and the earrings I bought today. I think they’ll make a nice set. Note: the earrings are silver. The gold glow is light from the windows.

james_davis_nicoll

Original Bluesky message.

smartbitches_feed

Posted by Carrie S

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/kickass-women-in-history-field-trip/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150679

This month we are going on a field trip! I visited the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California. This National Historical Park includes a small but mighty visitor’s center that has fascinating and inclusive exhibits. I encourage history buffs to check out their website.

Better yet, if you are visiting San Francisco or Oakland, take a side trip to this location. It’s set along the San Francisco Bay Trail which, to my delight, is wheelchair accessible as well as lovely.

WWII marked a time when an unprecedented number of women entered the workforce, particularly in fields that had been previously open only to men. The government used propaganda not only to encourage women to work outside the home, but also to persuade the men in their lives to allow it. One of the outcomes of this public relations effort was the creation of “Rosie the Riveter.”

Here’s how it happened: In 1942, Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb wrote a song called “Rosie the Riveter.” It was recorded in 1943. Here’s a recording which also features photos from the Library of Congress:

Watch on YouTube

Also in 1942, artist J. Howard Miller created the “We Can Do It!” poster for Westinghouse. This poster was only in use for a couple of weeks, but gained new life as a feminist poster in the 1980s. Meanwhile, Norman Rockwell painted “Rosie the Riveter” for the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. While Miller’s poster didn’t take off until decades later, Rockwell’s painting was a hit immediately. This painting, combined with the song, created a character of ‘Rosie the Riveter” that continues to shape the way we think about the capabilities and roles of women.

Painting of woman wearing blue coveralls and a red bandana, fist raised, in front of a yellow background, saying "WE CAN DO IT!" in white letter in a blue speech bubble

Cover of Saturday Evening Post whos Norman Rockwell's painting of a large women with a rivet gun in her lap. wearing coveralls and eating a sandwich

One thing that the Visitor’s Center makes clear is that many women of color felt that the Rosie story is a story exclusively about middle and upper class White women. After all, many women of color were already working outside the home not because of patriotic fervor but because of financial necessity. Women of color usually were hired only after White women, were given less prestigious and more dangerous work, were paid less, and were the first to be fired.

The Visitor’s Center has displays about the vital work that was done by people of color, as well as disabled people and LGBTQIA+ people. It also talks about the shameful incarceration of Japanese American citizens that the government carried out in California during the war.

Above all, the museum displays the tremendous social impact that WWII had on working communities as they travelled to shipyards such as the one in Richmond, and to other industrialized centers. People scrambled for housing. They petitioned for on-site daycare, workplace safety, and healthcare. The efforts of women of all backgrounds proved vitally influential for later civil rights, labor, and women’s rights movements.

visitor center display about LGBTQIA+ workers in three banners labeled COMING OUT WEST, Gathering spots in San Francisco, and Changing History. There are black and white photos printed on all three banners

I highly recommend a visit to the memorial if you get a chance. If you go on Friday, you can meet a real-life Rosie the Riveter who will answer questions about their experiences! You can also buy Sign My Name to Freedom, an autobiography written by Betty Reid Soskin, an African American woman who helped develop the center and who, as of 2013, was America’s oldest National Park Service Ranger (she has since retired).

If you can’t visit in person, do check out the website which tells the stories of many Kickass Women. If you have a favorite museum, visitor’s center, or other location that highlights Kickass Women, tell us in the comments!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/kickass-women-in-history-field-trip/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150679

james_davis_nicoll

Poll #33552 I knew I forgot something

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 66

View Respondents

Cats?

View Answers

Cats!
46 (69.7%)

Cats!
39 (59.1%)

Cats!
49 (74.2%)

Cats!
45 (68.2%)

Cats!
47 (71.2%)

james_davis_nicoll

Six works new to me. Three fantasy, three SF, four are series (at least in a sense) and the other two appear to be stand-alone. Lots of TTRPG material.

Books Received, August 23 — August 30

Poll #33551 Books Received, August 23 — August 30

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 29

View Respondents

Which of these look interesting?

View Answers

Victoriana by Alex Cahill et al (Q1 2026)
6 (20.7%)

Victoriana Menagerie by Alex Cahill et al (Q1 2026)
5 (17.2%)

The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu (April 2026)
21 (72.4%)

Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson (November 2025)
9 (31.0%)

Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Imperium Maledictum, Voll Adventures by Lisa Farrell et al (Q1, 2026)
2 (6.9%)

Coriolis: The Great Dark by Kosta Kostulas et al (August 2025)
13 (44.8%)

jhetley

Air temperature 60 F, wind south 7 mph, cloudy. Wet from overnight rain, which may add a touch of green to the world. Labor Day weekend is the traditional end of tourist season in Maine, but changing demographics have rendered that obsolete. Walk scheduled.

xkcd_feed

https://xkcd.com/3135/

They're up there with coral islands, lightning, and caterpillars turning into butterflies.

https://xkcd.com/3135/

smartbitches_feed

Posted by SB Sarah

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/newsletter-image-loading-issues-were-working-on-it/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150965

Thank you to everyone who emailed me to let me know that the images in our SBTB Daily email newsletter weren’t loading this week!

Those were some very bare newsletters. YIKES.

I’m honestly baffled and we’re working on it.

This post is both to let y’all know, and also to test the newsletter images in tomorrow’s edition.

I have to add another image to this post so I’m typing more words – scintillating behind the scenes content here, huh?

So here are some things I’m really enjoying, and please feel free to rec yours in the comments:

Big Freedia has a gospel album and it’s INCREDIBLE. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, you might remember hearing Big Freedia on Break My Soul by Beyonce, and Raising Hell by Kesha. Big Freedia’s gospel album, Pressing Onward, was released earlier this month and I heard an interview on The Sam Sanders Show from 8/8 while catching up on podcasts this week.
Speaking of The Sam Sanders Show, the 8/22 episode about friendship in pop culture with Lindy West and Meagan Hatcher-Mays of the podcast “Text Me Back” is a banger right from the top. I rewound (skipped backwards?) twice to re-listen to things they said.
A | BN | K | AB
I started The Thursday Murder Club adaptation on Netflix last night, and am watching it like a series even though it’s a movie. Better for my brain and bedtime, honestly. So far I’m extremely charmed by the nonstop “Hey! It’s Every British Actor Ever and Then Some!” casting, and the visible budget that was spent on this show. It is Well Funded in every respect, and I love what the set designers and production are doing with color to add nuance to the characters.
I’m working on a theory that weed-infused seltzers are 38% more burp-inducing than regular-degular seltzers. Research continues into this important matter.
Oh and a most jubilant Happy Great British Bake Off premiere week, y’all!

I’m going to be pinning this post to keep it at the top for RSS purposes so I can test what’s going on over the next few days. Thank you for your understanding and your help!

RSS is so annoying sometimes.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/newsletter-image-loading-issues-were-working-on-it/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150965

swan_tower

In obedience to long-standing tradition, in a month with five Fridays, the New Worlds Patreon turns its attention to matters of theory and craft! This time, we're taking a look at the worldbuilding on-ramp -- which is to say, the vital questions of how much to explain at the start of your story, and how choosing the right entry point can ease the reader's way in. Comment over there!

(originally posted at Swan Tower: https://is.gd/7LsNqj)

jhetley

And now it's raining. We need more than we're likely to get, being in an official drought.

smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/historical-romance-a-mystery-more-4/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150940

The Lake House

The Lake House by Kate Morton is $1.99! This book has all sorts of elements: historical fiction, Gothic mystery, and a family saga. Elyse gave this book a B:

The Lake House had some issues–there is A LOT going on here, tons of threads to keep track of–but it totally sucked me in. Once the novel gets its momentum, it barrels at you like a freight train. Historical fiction and mystery fans might want to put this on hold at the local library, at least while it’s still in hardcover.

From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Secret Keeper and The Distant Hours, an intricately plotted, spellbinding new novel of heartstopping suspense and uncovered secrets.

Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure…

One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined.

Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as an author. Theo’s case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate—now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone…yet more present than ever.

A lush, atmospheric tale of intertwined destinies, this latest novel from a masterful storyteller is an enthralling, thoroughly satisfying read.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Dare to Be a Duchess

Dare to Be a Duchess by Sapna Bhog is 99c at Amazon and $3.99 elsewhere! This is book one in The Elusive Lords series. I must say that blue dress is gorgeous on her.

He’s a powerful duke. She’s his uncle’s ward. They have forever been at war, until one night, one masquerade, and one kiss…

Lara Ramsay is no stranger to scandal. As the orphaned daughter of a British colonel and his beloved Indian wife, whispers follow her everywhere. Not even the protection of the formidable Duke of Wolverton, a man she can’t stand, keeps the gossips at bay.

The audacious Lara has driven Tristan Wentworth, The Duke of Wolverton, to distraction since the day his uncle took her in—and he’s quite certain doing so is her favorite pastime. After catching her and his younger sister at a salacious masquerade, he’s had enough scandal and issues a marriage ultimatum: find a husband within six months, or one will be chosen for her.

Unfortunately, no one in the ton appeals to her. Except, perhaps, the duke himself. The battle of wills has only just begun, and when Lara kisses him, their fate is sealed.

Sometimes even the most proper duke needs to break the rules to win the heart of the woman he loves…

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Gentleman’s Gambit

The Gentleman’s Gambit by Evie Dunmore is $1.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! Lara DNFed this one. The comments were mostly split in terms of agreeing with Lara versus having a book hangover after finishing this one.

Bookish suffragist Catriona Campbell is busy: An ailing estate, academic writer’s block, a tense time for England’s women’s rights campaign–the last thing she needs is to be stuck playing host to her father’s distractingly attractive young colleague.
Deeply introverted Catriona lives for her work at Oxford and her fight for women’s suffrage. She dreams of romance, too, but since all her attempts at love have ended badly, she now keeps her desires firmly locked inside her head–until she climbs out of a Scottish loch after a good swim and finds herself rather exposed to her new colleague.

Elias Khoury has wheedled his way into Professor Campbell’s circle under false pretenses: he did not come to Oxford to classify ancient artefacts, he is determined to take them back to his homeland in the Middle East. Winning Catriona’s favor could be the key to his success. Unfortunately, seducing the coolly intense lady scholar quickly becomes a mission in itself and his well-laid plans are in danger of derailing…

Forced into close proximity in Oxford’s hallowed halls, two very different people have to face the fact that they might just be a perfect match. Soon, a risky new game begins that asks Catriona one more time to put her heart and wildest dreams at stake.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Force of Nature

Force of Nature by Jane Harper is $2.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! This may have been the only Harper mystery we haven’t featured on sale, so get this one if you’ve been waiting. It’s the second book in the Aaron Falk series, though it works fine as a self-contained story.

Five women reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking along a muddy track.

Only four come out on the other side.

The hike through the rugged Giralang Ranges is meant to take the office colleagues out of their air-conditioned comfort zone and encourage teamwork and resilience. At least, that’s what the corporate retreat website advertises.

Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk has a keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing hiker, Alice Russell. Because Alice knew secrets, about the company she worked for and the people she worked with.

The four returning women tell Falk a tale of fear, violence and fractured trust during their days in the remote Australian bushland. And as Falk delves into the disappearance of Alice, he begins to suspect some dangers ran far deeper than anyone knew.

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