In which Happy Hour is Unreasonably Delayed
Nov. 21st, 2025 05:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rolanniDidn't get as much done today as I had wanted, mostly because my hands hurt. I actually stopped working at one point, heated up the ol' therapy mittens and watched a bread episode of the Great British Baking Show while they therapeutically warmed my hands.
I'm knocking off for the day, and will be watching Maigret on Masterpiece Theater. It's been decades since I've read Georges Simeon, and while Maigret wasn't a favorite, he'll do in a pinch.
Hopefully, my hands will be less ouchy tomorrow.
On the plus side of the day, I thought I remembered that Jermone Joyita had come from "Wick's World," but I looked it up anyway, and it turns out I was wrong. He came from The Wikesworlds or "The Wickes," but since this was a passing detail in Dragon Ship, I think I can be a little proud of myself.
Rook is marching back and forth in my office, shouting "Yowr!" and Utterly Rejects the notion that he has to wait A! Whole! Hour! for Happy Hour. I gather the idea is that we ought to have TWO Happy Hours on Friday.
. . . and Saturday . . . and Sunday . . . and Monday . . . and --
Yeah. Nice try, kid.
Anyhoot.
Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. Tomorrow is also a writing day -- glares at universe -- so check-ins may be anywhere from odd-houred to absent.
YOWR! says Rook.
New Worlds: Sex Segregation
Nov. 21st, 2025 06:04 pmswan_towerSome kinds of sex segregation are situational, being focused on a specific event. Rites of passage in certain types of society are often focused on initiating boys into the company of men and girls into the company of women; it therefore makes sense that the other group shouldn't be present. Childbirth is another event that may be restricted only to women, with men having their own traditions to perform elsewhere. Even a girls' slumber party may be off-limits to boys, any such intruders being driven away with shrieks of outrage and maybe some thrown pillows. But once that event is over, the space opens up again; the living room where the slumber party was held is not forbidden to men forevermore.
Where the separation is more about the space than a specific event, it's most likely to happen in contexts that are both bodily and communal. Locker rooms and bathing facilities, for example, involve individuals stripping down in the company of other people, so we tend to have separate ones for men and women. The communal part is particularly important here: nobody thinks twice about the fact that toilets at home or on airplanes are all-gender by default, because they're also single-occupancy. It's only when the space is shared that hackles rise over a lack of segregation -- though proponents point out that all-gender communal restrooms tend to be built in a way that offers more privacy to everybody, and that's a good thing.
For many of us, it probably makes sense that anything which involves baring intimate parts of the body should be veiled from the opposite sex, outside special circumstances. But the "bodily" part of the above equation also extends in directions that may be less obvious to my average reader . . . like eating. We think nothing of men and women eating together, even in public! But in other places and times, women have taken their meals separately from men, even within the walls of their own homes -- and a restaurant is right out. Regency England considered it barely acceptable for a woman of quality to dine in a private room at a commercial establishment, especially if she was traveling, but out in public? That was scandalous. (The French, ever risqué, thought it was just fine.)
The other broad category in which segregation may rear its head is religious contexts. Mosques very commonly have separate sections for men and women, for the very practical reason than Muslim prayer involves kneeling and bowing one's head to the ground, which leads to a lot of time with the rear end of the person ahead of you being right in front of your face. In mixed contexts, it's easy to see how this can get socially awkward and may distract people from the religious matters that should be their focus. Orthodox and some Conservative Jewish synagogues likewise maintain separate sections for men and women, again for reasons of modesty and improved attention to God.
Depending on the place in question, this division can be accomplished in a number of ways. The different sections can be marked by anything from segregated doors to a rope to a low wall to a curtain, depending on the degree of privacy required. This may run laterally through the space, so that the women are (usually) behind the men, or it may run axially, placing them side-by-side -- the latter carrying a great symbolic connotation of equality, as it allows both sexes to be equally close to the front. Or the separation may be greater, with women in a balcony (echoed by the Women's Gallery that used to allow English ladies to observe the doings of a wholly masculine Parliament), in a different room, or even in another building entirely, one constructed for their sole use.
Of course, when we think of sex segregation, we think above all of purdah -- using that as a generalized term for the seclusion of women from public view, via clothing, architecture, and behavior, in all contexts rather than only specific ones. On the sartorial end, veils can hide a woman's hair, face, or even eyes from view, while long skirts, long sleeves, and perhaps gloves conceal everything else, depending on the degree of concealment required. On the architectural end, pierced wooden screens serve a dual purpose: environmentally, they permit some air circulation while blocking most light, and socially, they prevent outsiders from easily seeing into the house, where the women are.
In English we tend to equate the word "harem" with a man's collection of wives and concubines, but properly speaking, it's the private part of the house, which by the principle of metonymy came to also indicate the women there. Male outsiders and servants may not enter; even male relatives may be restricted, with only the closest or those under the age of puberty allowed across the threshold. Meanwhile, the women themselves often face restrictions on their ability to leave -- which, in extreme cases (like the wives and concubines of a ruler), might extend as far as prohibiting that entirely.
To be clear, although we associate this with the Muslim world, and perhaps with India, that's not its only context. Noble and royal women in East Asian countries, for example, might only converse with men from behind a screen, because it was improper for them to be viewed directly. Early modern Spanish writings are full of the idea that women should stay within their houses and not go out, only grudgingly allowing for things like church attendance -- indeed, Europe more broadly agreed that women should not be out in public any more than strictly necessary. Where there is patriarchy, there will be a desire to control the visibility, movements, and activities of women.
At least for elite women. Because let's be clear: this kind of segregation is ultimately a luxury, and therefore not equally affordable by all classes. Somebody has to go out for food, water, and other necessities, and that work can't all be done by men, because they're busy with their own jobs. The private seclusion of upper-class women relies on the public activities of slaves or paid servants, many of whom will be female. Meanwhile, households living closer to the poverty line can't afford that kind of help; their women might have to work at agricultural or commercial tasks just to make ends meet. They may still be barred from certain contexts, forbidden to attend the theatre or take a meal in a tavern, and they may be required to observe strict forms of modesty while they're out and about, but they can't be hidden away entirely.
Ultimately, then, while limited and context-dependent forms of sex segregation can be very commonplace, the blanket sort indicated by the term purdah is an expression not only of gender ideology but of economics. It can only occur where there is the wealth to support it, along with the will to enforce it.
(originally posted at Swan Tower: https://is.gd/ZQlmSn)
Freya Marske, KDDs, & More
Nov. 21st, 2025 04:30 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
smartbitches_feedWe Solve Murders
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman is $1.99! This came out last September, but I wouldn’t be surprised if library holds were still pretty long. Maybe snap this up if you impatience is winning out.
A brand new series. An iconic new detective duo. And a puzzling new murder to solve…
Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favorite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.
Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn’t stay still long enough for habits or routines. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job…
Then a dead body, a bag of money, and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a lethal enemy?
Swordcrossed
Swordcrossed by Freya Marske is $2.99! Many of us were very excited for this release. Sarah also had Marske on the podcast to talk about it.
High heat. Low stakes. Sharp steel.
The cozy, low stakes of Legends & Lattes meets the scorching bodyguard fantasy of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s From Blood and Ash in this enemies-to-lovers romance where, yes, the swords do cross.
A LitHub most anticipated book of 2024
Mattinesh Jay, dutiful heir to his struggling family business, needs to hire an experienced swordsman to serve as best man for his arranged marriage. Sword-challenge at the ceremony could destroy all hope of restoring his family’s wealth, something that Matti has been trying—and failing—to do for the past ten years.
What he can afford, unfortunately, is part-time con artist and full-time charming menace Luca Piere.
Luca, for his part, is trying to reinvent himself in a new city. All he wants to do is make some easy money and try to forget the crime he committed in his hometown. He didn’t plan on being blackmailed into giving sword lessons to a chronically responsible—and inconveniently handsome—wool merchant like Matti.
However, neither Matti’s business troubles nor Luca himself are quite what they seem. As the days count down to Matti’s wedding, the two of them become entangled in the intrigue and sabotage that have brought Matti’s house to the brink of ruin. And when Luca’s secrets threaten to drive a blade through their growing alliance, both Matti and Luca will have to answer the how many lies are you prepared to strip away, when the truth could mean losing everything you want?
“There’s nothing in fantasy or queer romance that Marske can’t do.”—Sarah Rees Brennan
A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire
A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley is $1.99! This is book three in the Glimmer Falls series. For me, this series was too twee for my liking. What are your thoughts?
Ben Rosewood never meant to be bound to a vampire succubus, especially one as sexy-yet-terrifying as Eleanora Bettencourt-Devereux, but he has to admit there are some fang-tastic perks….
Werewolf Ben Rosewood is happy with his life. One hundred percent. Everything is fine. His business, Ben’s Plant Emporium, is thriving, and he’s even expanding the shop. His anxiety disorder is…well, it’s been better, but that comes with the territory of running a business and having beastly urges every full moon, right? As for romance—who has the time? Though his family is desperate to see him settled, Ben is fine approaching forty as a single werewolf. But after drunkenly bidding on and winning a supposedly-possessed crystal on eBay one night, he finds himself face-to-face with a beautiful but angry vampire.
Eleanora Bettencourt-Devereux is a rare breed—a vampire succubus born from two elite European bloodlines during medieval times. But thanks to an evil witch, she’s been stuck in a crystal since she was thirty, forced to obey orders from the possessor of the rock. Eleanora’s been dreaming of breaking the spell and severing the witch’s head for centuries. But did this witch really sell her to someone new, and for only ninety-nine cents?
Eleanora would claw this werewolf’s heart out and eat it, if only the binding spell would allow her to. But Eleanora and Ben soon realize they can help each other with both vengeful and less hostile needs. And why not have a little fun along the way?
The City of Stardust
The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers is $2.99! This is a Kindle Daily Deal and I gave this one a C. As Jenny in the comments of my review described it, this is a book that is mainly aesthetic and vibes. Summers’s sophomore novel just came out and I’m excited for it.
Slip into a lush world of magic, stardust, and monsters in this spellbinding contemporary fantasy from debut author Georgia Summers.
For centuries, the Everlys have seen their best and brightest disappear, taken as punishment for a crime no one remembers, for a purpose no one understands. Their tormentor, a woman named Penelope, never ages, never grows sick – and never forgives a debt.
Violet Everly was a child when her mother left on a stormy night, determined to break the curse. When Marianne never returns, Penelope issues an ultimatum: Violet has ten years to find her mother, or she will take her place. Violet is the last of the Everly line, the last to suffer. Unless she can break the curse first.
Her hunt leads her into a seductive magical underworld of power-hungry scholars, fickle gods and monsters bent on revenge. And into the path of Penelope’s quiet assistant, Aleksander, who she knows cannot be trusted – and yet to whom she finds herself undeniably drawn.
With her time running out, Violet will travel the edges of the world to find Marianne and the key to the city of stardust, where the Everly story began.
The Door on the Sea (The Raven and the Eagle, volume 1) by Caskey Russell
Nov. 21st, 2025 09:10 amjames_davis_nicoll
A young scholar and his diverse companions are dispatched on an intelligence-gathering mission deep into enemy territory.
The Door on the Sea (The Raven and the Eagle, volume 1) by Caskey Russell
Friday
Nov. 21st, 2025 09:17 amrolanniFriday. Blue skies and frost glittering on the grass in the Long Back Yard.
Yesterday was a Writing Day. Today will be more of the same. No, I don't know how it's going. Welcome to my life.
Speaking of which . . .
Those who have been following along for the last while will perhaps have noticed that a little over a year ago, my partner, best friend, co-author, second brain, and emotional support Steve died.
I am not, and I know this very well, the only person who has endured this awful loss. Surviving a beloved partner's death, going forward -- even deciding if one wishes to go forward -- this process is many things, but there's one thing it isn't.
It's not a competition. Having taken the decision to go forward, one does what one must, or at least what seems good and productive to do. As we are all different, your methods will be different from mine.
I have had people who are before me on this road turn and take the time to tell me that I'm doing fine, and that I take as an inducement to courage from someone who has already traveled the rough bit I'm just getting to.
But -- survival is not a competition. I can't say this enough, apparently.
When I was at BaltiCon -- boy, that was a hard thing to do, but it had to be done, I decided, and so I ... managed. I hid in my room a lot. I didn't do the parties; I didn't go to panels that I wasn't on. I recruited myself for necessary tasks.
So, while I was at BaltiCon being a half-coward, a colleague told me that I was doing so well. Much better, in fact, than another colleague who had also recently lost their partner and was being publicly and (in the opinion of the first colleague) embarrassingly noisy about it. Which -- no. There is No Correct Way to Grieve. I've been plenty noisy, and expect to be so again, the road being twisty and misty like it is. Neither I nor my colleague in craft and loss are doing better than the other. We're surviving. Day by day, and sometimes minute by minute.
Life wants to live. If you're still standing after receiving what ought to have been a fatal strike, and you've decided to take the Road Forward, I won't lie to you -- it's hard.
I won't lie to you -- you're doing fine.
We're fellow travelers. Not competitors.
Shakespeare in the Park: Twelfth Night on PBS
Nov. 21st, 2025 11:00 amsmartbitches_feed
At some point this year, and I don’t remember which corporate or governmental bullshit event it was, I subscribed to PBS and downloaded the PBS Passport app.
You can stream SO MUCH GOOD STUFF my gosh. Ballet! Antiques Roadshow! Stage performances from recent and distant history! The truly top-shelf visual dopamine of All Creatures Great and Small. I could end this post here and just say, PBS Passport is the greatest, and subscribing is an upgrade to your life.
Also – supporting a rural PBS station goes a VERY long way right now as the administration plays do-si-kiss-my-ass with funding.
BUT. Y’ALL.
Great Performances has begun streaming the 2025 Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night with a cast that includes, and I am not joking:
- Lupita Nyong’o
- Sandra Oh
- Peter Dinklage
- Junior Nyong’o, who is Lupita’s brother (the resemblance is profound)
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson
- Khris Davis
- Daphne Rubin-Vega
The performance was directed by Saheem Ali, and seriously, y’all. We watched the play over two nights, and it was easily one of the best productions I’ve seen.
And I don’t want to brag or anything, but I saw a production in the late 90s at Lincoln Center with Helen Hunt and Paul Rudd. You can watch it in varying degrees of quality on YouTube now.
- Not great audio and video quality but the full play (Shakespeare Network, YouTube)
- Twelfth Night, or What You Will, Part 1
- Twelfth Night, or What You Will, Part 2
That performance was also incredible, with music so alluring I bought the soundtrack on CD.
The Shakespeare in the Park production at the Delacorte equally blew my mind – and also had incredible music, much of it sung by Feste, played impeccably by Moses Sumney.
A behind the scenes clip of rehearsal
I’m not a theatre critic by a longshot, though I love live theater productions. I love remixes of Shakespeare that play with era or setting. And I love LOVE LOVE when clearly everyone involved is engaged with their character and the others on stage with an energy and ebullience that to me communicates that they’re really enjoying themselves. Antonio is played by an actor who goes by b. and they were mesmerizing; even with a smaller part and a few lines, their presence on stage had a gravity that was difficult to look away from.
I already watch tv with subtitles, but even with the text at the bottom of the screen, it was difficult to look away from most of this production. The only parts I found more dull were the scenes with Sir Toby Belch, played by John Ellison Conlee. While the other performers gave their delivery nuance and variety, Conlee mostly seemed to have one setting, which was “drunk bloviation.” Granted that’s Belch’s entire schtick, but those scenes were less engaging because of the sameness of the tone.
In addition to different kinds of love and ardor, Twelfth Night explores grief, identity, and gender; this production adds through a few changes an exploration of immigrant experience.
Viola and Sebastian are shipwrecked in Illyria, and some of their dialogue includes translations of the text into Swahili. They’ve washed ashore in a strange place where they are vulnerable, convinced they are now alone in this strange world, and their reunion and dialogue in Swahili at the end made my eyes tear because I didn’t understand it (no subtitles there) but also, I did understand it. I didn’t need to know the words to know the emotion of realizing a person thought dead is alive, and safe, and present and whole. Earlier that evening, I had been reading about the hundreds of people being kidnapped and disappeared by ICE in Charlotte, and clearly that added to my reaction.
The style and flair of the actors, such as dropping into modern speech rhythms for delivery of some lines and adding elements of camp and drag, was delightful. Peter Dinklage is incredible at physical comedy and his Malvolio is both brittle in his insecurities and weighty in his pompousness. There is nothing more funny to me right now than hearing him say “Cross gartered.”
This production lives in my mind alongside the production of Born With Teeth that was playing until recently in London, starring Edward Bluemel (My Lady Jane) and Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who). Born With Teeth is about an imagined alliance and rivalry (and mega flirtation) between William Shakespeare (Bluemel) and Christopher Marlowe (Gatwa). The palpable erotic tension was remarkable, but so too was the way in which Gatwa subtly included aspects of Black identity and history into how he interpreted Marlowe’s character. Similarly, Black identity and markers of Black culture – Orsino lifting weights while wearing a durag, elements of body posture and line delivery, for example – suffuse this production with layered meaning in a way that I can’t stop thinking about. I think I’m going to have to watch it again.
So, my recommendation: watch Twelfth Night on PBS Great Performances. It’s terrific. And it reminds me that I will be immeasurably more content if I engage with more theater, more marginalized actors interpreting historical figures and texts, and more PBS.
693. Holiday Wishes I with Susie, Elizabeth, Alanna
Nov. 21st, 2025 07:00 amsmartbitches_feed
It’s time for our annual Holiday Wishes episodes!
Every year I connect with listeners around the world, where we talk about books, wishes, and bad jokes. So this time of year, my guests are…all of you!
In this set of wishes, we’ve got classics, new mysteries, and series romances. And we’ve got Sapphic yearning!
I have a record number of people signed up to do holiday wishes conversations with me, and these episodes are so uplifting and delightful, I’m extremely excited.
And! There is still time to sign up! If you’re part of the Podcast Patreon or After Dark, you can still pick a time to connect with me.
Listen to the podcast →Read the transcript →
Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:
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.
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!
Remember to subscribe to our podcast feed, find us on iTunes or on Stitcher.
Mostly Historical Romances
Nov. 20th, 2025 04:30 pmsmartbitches_feedThe Duke at Hazard
The Duke at Hazard by KJ Charles is 99c! This is the second book in the The Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune series. It came out last year. Shana was excited for this one because of the road trip element.
Don’t miss the second thrilling Regency romance in the Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune series by KJ Charles…
The Duke of Severn is one of the greatest men in Britain.
He’s also short, quiet, and unimpressive. And now he’s been robbed, after indulging in one rash night with a strange man who stole the heirloom Severn ring from his finger. The Duke has to get it back, and he can’t let anyone know how he lost it. So when his cousin bets that he couldn’t survive without his privilege and title, the Duke grasps the opportunity to hunt down his ring-incognito.
Life as an ordinary person is terrifying…until the anonymous Duke meets Daizell Charnage, a disgraced gentleman, and hires him to help. Racing across the country in search of the thief, the Duke and Daizell fall into scrapes, into trouble-and in love.
Daizell has been excluded from polite society, his name tainted by his father’s crimes and his own misbehaviour. Now he dares to dream of a life somewhere out of sight with the quiet gentleman who’s stolen his heart. He doesn’t know that his lover is a hugely rich public figure with half a dozen titles. And when he finds out, it will risk everything they have…
Slightly Married
Slightly Married by Mary Balogh is $1.99! This is the first book in the Bedwyn Saga, which is a favorite amongst romance readers. It also has a cover updated, which is…fine? I kind of miss the red and gold.
Meet the Bedwyns…six brothers and sisters—men and women of passion and privilege, daring and sensuality…Enter their dazzling world of high society and breathtaking seduction…where each will seek love, fight temptation, and court scandal…and where Aidan Bedwyn, the marriage-shy second son, discovers that matrimony may be the most seductive act of all.…
Like all the Bedwyn men, Aidan has a reputation for cool arrogance. But this proud nobleman also possesses a loyal, passionate heart—and it is this fierce loyalty that has brought Colonel Lord Aidan to Ringwood Manor to honor a dying soldier’s request. Having promised to comfort and protect the man’s sister, Aidan never expected to find a headstrong, fiercely independent woman who wants no part of his protection…nor did he expect the feelings this beguiling creature would ignite in his guarded heart. And when a relative threatens to turn Eve out of her home, Aidan gallantly makes her an offer she can’t refuse: marry him…if only to save her home. And now, as all of London breathlessly awaits the transformation of the new Lady Aidan Bedwyn, the strangest thing happens: With one touch, one searing embrace, Aidan and Eve’s “business arrangement” is about to be transformed…into something slightly surprising.
The Viscount’s Unconventional Lady
The Viscount’s Unconventional Lady by Virginia Heath is $1.99! This was previously published in 2021, so make sure you don’t already have it. This is book one in The Talk of the Beau Monde series and I certainly don’t like that cover.
The notorious viscount
And the most gossiped-about lady…
After years as a diplomat in the Napoleonic Wars, Lord Eastwood is reluctant to return to London society. His scandalous divorce has made him infamous, not to mention cantankerous! To halt the rumor mill, he should marry a quiet noblewoman—instead it’s bold, vibrant artist Faith Brookes who’s caught his attention. They are the least suitable match, so why is he like a moth to a flame?
Call Me Maybe
Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone is 99c! Bastone’s romances have been previously recommended in the comments. This one was originally released on audio and judging by the description, I’d assume it was pretty cute. This is also on the shorter side at a little over 200 pages.
The audio bestseller, available for the first time in ebook! True love is on the line in Cara Bastone’s charming, laugh-out-loud rom-com, perfect for fans of Netflix’s Love is Blind, Jo Watson, Lauren Layne and Hannah Orenstein!
Paint your toes. Pick up the wrong coffee and bagel order. Drive from Brooklyn to Jersey in traffic so slow you want to tear your hair out. It’s amazing all the useless things I can accomplish while on hold for three hours with customer service. Three hours when I should be getting the Date-in-a-Box website ready to launch at the big business expo in a few days. Except my shiny new website is glitching, and my inner rage-monster is ready to scorch some earth…when he finally picks up. Not the robot voice I expected but a real live human named Cal. He’s surprisingly helpful and really knows his stuff, even if he’s a little awkward…in an adorable way.
And suddenly I’m flirting with him? And I think he’s flirting back.
And suddenly it’s been hours, and we’re still on the phone talking and ordering each other takeout while he troubleshoots my website.
And suddenly we’re exchanging numbers and sending texts and DMs every day, leaving voice mails (who even does that anymore?!).
And suddenly I’m wondering if it’s possible for two people to fall in love at first talk.
Because I’m falling…hard.
The Animals in That Country by Laura Jean McKay
Nov. 20th, 2025 09:09 amjames_davis_nicoll
A park guide's life is upended by a pandemic and her charming, idiot son.
The Animals in That Country by Laura Jean McKay
Puck You: a Slow Burn Romance Between Two Fierce Athletes
Nov. 20th, 2025 11:00 amsmartbitches_feed
This post is sponsored by W by Wattpad Books, publisher of Puck You by Flynn Novak.
If you love books where there’s
- Rivalry – giant rivalry, like gloves off, hollering, ice-dusted rivalry
- Two equally talented athletes trying to win while avoiding pants feelings
- Exploration of the unequal treatment of men’s and women’s college teams
- A slooooow burn between two resolutely competitive adversaries
- Eldest daughter vs. hockey captain sportbro
- Lots and lots of hockey
May I introduce Puck You by Flynn Novak?
When Grace Gillman transfers to Dallard University for her senior year, she’s excited to play top-level hockey with a high-ranking team, where she expects top-tier facilities and opportunities. But her excitement quickly fades as she learns that the women’s team isn’t a priority.
Sebastian Evans needs this year to go perfectly. It’s his last chance to prove himself to scouts for a professional hockey career. Juggling school, an old injury, and the pressure to perform is tough enough—but dealing with Grace, the fiery star from the women’s team, makes everything harder.
Neither Grace nor Sebastian wants to compete with each other, but when Grace sees how much better the men’s team is treated, she can’t stay silent. The two quickly become rivals, both on and off the ice. But when their personal conflict starts affecting their game, they risk being benched permanently. Despite the tension, sparks fly between them, and what began as a bitter rivalry might just ignite into something hot enough to melt the ice they skate on.
In Puck You, a portion of the tension between the lead characters stems from how pissed off Grace is when she sees how much better Dallard University treats the men’s hockey team than the women’s team. Loving a sport comes with acknowledging how it can cause great harm, and Grace doesn’t flinch from calling out the problems – which Sebastian isn’t too thrilled about hearing.
I love sports romances where both characters are athletes. It’s one of my favorite flavors in a very popular genre. Athlete life, especially during the season on a team, is weird and intense, and the way athletes have to live, train, and manage their lives around their sport makes for some very complicated romances.
Maaaaybe this is due to The Cutting Edge imprinting on me at a young age? Maybe? Probably.
Puck You has some great company when it comes to slow burn sports romances where both characters are athletes at the top of their respective games. Here are some favorites.
Heated Rivalry
Author: Rachel Reid
Released: March 25, 2019 by Carina Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Romance
Series: Game Changers #2
Nothing interferes with Shane Hollander’s game—definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate.
Pro hockey star Shane Hollander isn’t just crazy talented, he’s got a spotless reputation. Hockey is his life. Now that he’s captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won’t let anything jeopardize that, especially the sexy Russian whose hard body keeps him awake at night.
Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane’s not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he’s as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him—except Shane. They’ve made a career on their legendary rivalry, but when the skates come off, the heat between them is undeniable. When Ilya realizes he wants more than a few secret hookups, he knows he must walk away. The risk is too great.
As their attraction intensifies, they struggle to keep their relationship out of the public eye. If the truth comes out, it could ruin them both. But when their need for each other rivals their ambition on the ice, secrecy is no longer an option…
Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid is now a foundational book in the sports romance genre because of its popularity – and it’s about to be released as a series on Crave TV in an adaptation by Letterkenny‘s Jacob Tierney. Tierney is seriously talented. It’s going to be very good, no question. Have you seen the trailer?
To those who are holding out hope that it’ll be available in the US: Letterkenny and Shorsey, both of which are Tierney projects, are on Hulu, so fingers crossed this will be too.
Icebreaker
Author: Hannah Grace
Released: November 22, 2022 by Atria Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Maple Hills #1
Anastasia Allen has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA.
A competitive figure skater since she was five years old, a full college scholarship thanks to her place on the Maple Hills skating team, and a schedule that would make even the most driven person weep, Stassie comes to win.
No exceptions.
Nathan Hawkins has never had a problem he couldn’t solve. As captain of the Maple Hills Titans, he knows the responsibility of keeping the hockey team on the ice rests on his shoulders.
When a misunderstanding results in the two teams sharing a rink, and Anastasia’s partner gets hurt in the aftermath, Nate finds himself swapping his stick for tights, and one scary coach for an even scarier one.
The pair find themselves stuck together in more ways than one, but it’s fine, because Anastasia doesn’t even like hockey players…right?
Team USA skater vs. the captain of the hockey team? Clearly, The Cutting Edge imprinted on a lot of us – I love it.
One aspect of sports romances where both characters are athletes that I love is how it allows both leads to be competitive and driven, and its within a completely understandable context that dampens (some of) the usual criticism about ambitious heroines.
From Lukov with Love
Author: Mariana Zapata
Released: February 1, 2018 by Mariana Zapata
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
If someone were to ask Jasmine Santos to describe the last few years of her life with a single word, it would definitely be a four-letter one.
After seventeen years—and countless broken bones and broken promises—she knows her window to compete in figure skating is coming to a close.
But when the offer of a lifetime comes in from an arrogant idiot she’s spent the last decade dreaming about pushing in the way of a moving bus, Jasmine might have to reconsider everything.
Including Ivan Lukov.
If I didn’t include From Lukov With Love by Mariana Zapata, someone would probably have choice words for me. Zapata’s books are the slowest of slow burns, with so many pages to enjoy. So many pages.
Bombshells
Author: Sarina Bowen
Released: April 13, 2021 by Tuxbury Publishing LLC
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Brooklyn Bruisers #8
The women’s league is in the house! And Brooklyn will never be the same again for Anton Bayer and the team…
This is my last chance to ditch my playboy reputation and finally fulfill my potential. So I’ve made three rules for our biggest season yet: no boozing, no women, and no scandals.
Especially that last thing.
So who do I befriend on the very first day back at the rink? An amazing female hockey player. I want Sylvie in a way that’s more than just friendly. I crave her. But I have a championship to win, and so does she.
Then she gets her heart broken by my teammate, and I make the foolish mistake of comforting her in the best way I know how. Our night together sets off a string of sins.
Nobody can know about our affair, especially my overprotective teammate. I can’t let anyone see into my greedy little heart. Not even her.
The things I want from her, and the things we’ve already done? If anyone knew, there’d be bombshells.
Contains: a defenseman with dreamy blue eyes, a female goalie with bad ideas, a major battle of the sexes and a swimming pool scene…
Bombshells by Sarina Bowen features a women’s hockey goalie having a one night – ok, a few, no, several – night stand with a hockey playboy who are hiding their fling, and trying not to show how very, very into each other they really are.
You know, it occurs to me that romances between athletes on sports teams are sort of kind of like workplace romances, only the workplaces are a little father apart ethically.
Team Players
Author: Deanna Grey
Released: September 24, 2024 by Deanna Grey
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Aderyn: Resident playboy, Samson Morgan, thinks he can beat me at my own game.
The hockey captain truly believes he can stop playing the field for longer than I can start having one-night stands. Okay, sure, historically I’m known for being an all-in, ask-to-be-your-girlfriend-on-the-first-date romantic. But being a player isn’t that hard. And I came to Mendell University to win. Whether that’s on the ice or off.
Morgan doesn’t realize it yet but he’s finally met an opponent who can take him down.
Sam: My bet with the women’s hockey team captain feels like an easy win.
Three months pretending to be a one-woman kind of man? Easy . . . scary easy, actually. Somewhere along the line, I start taking my role too seriously. This semester isn’t the time for me to get distracted from my main goal—ensuring my team gets a fair shot this season.
But Aderyn Jacobs consistently makes me rethink everything I’ve ever wanted. I’m in danger of losing something far bigger than our bet.
Team Players not only has a cover that I love, it has banter, rivalry, and two university sports captains who are driven, and driving one another bonkers with a rather incredible bet.
Puck You
Author: Flynn Novak
Released: November 18, 2025 by Wattpad Webtoon Studios, Inc.
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
For fans of spicy hockey romances like Icebreaker and The Au Pair Affair comes the story of a heated rivalry between two hockey players that develops into a romance hot enough to melt the ice from debut novelist Flynn Novak.
An on ice rivalry sparks an off ice affair . . . and puts both their hockey career in jeopardy in this steamy new adult debut by Flynn Novak
When Grace Gillman transfers to Dallard University for her senior year, she’s excited to play top-level hockey with a high-ranking team, where she expects top-tier facilities and opportunities. But her excitement quickly fades as she learns that the women’s team isn’t a priority.
Sebastian Evans needs this year to go perfectly. It’s his last chance to prove himself to scouts for a professional hockey career. Juggling school, an old injury, and the pressure to perform is tough enough—but dealing with Grace, the fiery star from the women’s team, makes everything harder.
Neither Grace nor Sebastian wants to compete with each other, but when Grace sees how much better the men’s team is treated, she can’t stay silent. The two quickly become rivals, both on and off the ice. But when their personal conflict starts affecting their game, they risk being benched permanently. Despite the tension, sparks fly between them, and what began as a bitter rivalry might just ignite into something hot enough to melt the ice they skate on.
Puck You by Flynn Novak is available now where your favorite books are sold!
What other slow burn “they’re both athletes” romances do you love?
The Botanist’s Assistant by Peggy Townsend
Nov. 20th, 2025 08:00 amsmartbitches_feed
This is a book about a quiet, steady woman in her 50s who is dogged in her pursuit of justice. Margaret is a research assistant and she’s perfectly suited to the job: she’s methodical, reliable and devoted to science. When her boss dies unexpectedly, it is Margaret alone who suspects murder. In the way of these things, she is dismissed and not believed.
As to that disbelief: the book is frank about how older women who don’t conform to beauty standards are invisible to the greater world. When they are seen, they’re a topic of pity or ridicule, depending on the viewer’s degree of kindness. Margaret is a figure of fun to many of her colleagues. She’s a big boned tall woman and she’s called ‘Big Bird’ as a cruel nickname.
Nevertheless, Margaret sets out to find the killer or, at least, prove that her boss was killed. Margaret is based at a small university and the cast of characters is varied in terms of personality. Although there is a relatively large number of characters that we meet, they are introduced to us slowly and each is so individual in their character that it is very easy to keep track of who did what with whom, etc.
In her investigation, she meets Joe, the custodian for the Botany department. In Joe she finds an ally, not least because he is willing to unlock offices that Margaret needs access to. I should point out now that there is not even the slightest bit of romance between Margaret and Joe. It’s purely platonic, just a lovely warm friendship. In fact, there’s no romance in the book at all.
The mystery is really well-plotted and while in hindsight the culprit was quite clear, it was a genuine surprise to me when they revealed themselves. There’s not a huge amount I can say about the mystery though, as the death happens at the start of the book and the twists begin almost immediately. I do not want to spoil the reading experience for you, dear Bitchery!
Something that this book has in spades (via Margaret’s POV) is an absolute love for nature and the role it plays in our lives. There are tender asides about certain plants, how those plants are used for medicinal purposes, and other scientific tidbits. This really added not only to my enjoyment of the book, but it also added to the rich nuance that is Margaret’s character.
Unsurprisingly, Margaret’s garden is her pride and joy.
Unlike the rest of her ordered and plain life, Margaret’s garden is a riot of colours, textures and scents. Dainty violets line a winding path of stepping stones next to a row of silvery dusty miller. Gaudy gladiolas lord it over black-eyed Susans while lilies erupt in clumps and deer grass sways in the breeze.
The plants are characters in themselves.
As Margaret investigates, she finds allies and eventually friends as she starts to build closer connections with those around her. Joe, for one, but there are others she becomes closer to as well. And because Margaret is so observant and thoughtful, the narrative is as much a yarn for me to enjoy as it is a close study of human behaviour and people’s various foibles.
This is nowhere more evident (or more delightful) than in the welcoming of a cat into her house.
This particular subplot is a little love letter to cat owners and I was a sucker for it. It was delicious.
Overall, the writing is immersive. I sank happily into Margaret’s POV and for the hours this book held my attention, I lived another life. Margaret’s world is filled with unkindness and treachery and skulduggery (it’s academia, after all) but she is such a force for good. Not loud. Not demanding. Just resilient, down-to-the-bone goodness that never becomes twee or cosy. This book has no whimsy in that sense. Rather it is serious and certain and good.
This is a book about being loyal to the truth, the scientific method and to yourself.
When Margaret and [REDACTED] are talking near the end of the book, Margaret shares this wisdom with us.
“You, um, probably don’t know this but, um, some people call you Big Bird behind your back, including me.”
“I’ve known that for a very long time” [says Margaret]
His eyebrows lift. “And you don’t mind?”“Of course I mind, but what people call you isn’t what you are. Am I an eight-foot-two yellow bird who can rollerskate and write poetry?” she says. “Do I live in a large nest? … No, I’m just a scientist who happens to be tall and large-boned, and when you don’t fit a mold, people must find a way to set you apart so they can assure themselves they are the normal ones.”
I thoroughly enjoyed this masterclass of human nature.
Podcast 692, Your Transcript has Dramatically Arrived!
Nov. 20th, 2025 01:03 amsmartbitches_feed
The transcript for Podcast 692. Soap Opera Nostalgia with Amye Archer from Little Miss Recap has been posted!
This podcast transcript was handcrafted with meticulous skill by Garlic Knitter. Many thanks.
What if I'd been the one to say goodbye?
Nov. 19th, 2025 06:58 pmrolanniWhat went before Tuesday:
Went down a couple of rabbit holes.
First, someone is actually trying to schedule an MRI for me, and we've been playing phone and portal tag.
Second, I went looking for The Other File full of teaching stuff -- I did find it -- but while I was looking, I opened a file drawer Full of Lee-and-Miller interviews, reviews, articles, pr -- bunches and Bunches and BUNCHES of Stuff. A whole file drawer and, yanno?
We have never been famous, or even particularly --
And that? Was Midcoast Hospital in Brunswick calling. I have an MRI scheduled for Saturday December 6, so someone's taking this seriously. Is there a word that means "simultaneously freaked out and relieved"?
Anyhoot. As I said, I did find the Other File, but I still need to get with the cat fountains, so that's next -- glares at universe.
Right?
#
So, below (far, far below) is what I think will be my next glass attempt, to work on my cutting and also to use some of the scraps. Also, if I decide to get Really Crazy, I can just keep going up.
In other news, today was the Magic Medical Day. I have the MRI scheduled and an audiology appointment. This of course means that December is filling up with medical appointments, but here we are.
I am relieved to report that the cat fountains have been changed out, though I still need to wash the fiddly bits, my other duty to the cats has been performed, and I ate lunch, too!
It has gotten later sooner than I had expected, so my next thing will be to thread my needles for tonight's meeting.
I have downloaded the book club book (The Thursday Murder Club, for those who missed the big announcement yesterday), but I have Ghost Army of WWII queued up on the tablet for my next read.
Also! It's November which means I need to decide if I'm doing a Yule Letter this year.
And I still need to do the form for Adult Ed. That may have to happen tomorrow evening.
Whee!
Is everybody having fun?
#
So, when I went over to my instructor's house to finish my project, and I saw how many places I had missed covering the copper, I realized that it's a little too dim in Foosball Studio. I have thus purchased (yet another) Verilux task lamp (this one is a twofer: Task light and Happy Light) -- it will go in Steve's office and the repaired so-called smart light that's currently in Steve's office will go into the studio. I also bought a "beginner" happy light for my office, because I cannot afford -- that's literally "afford" -- to get depressed, and the way I'm feeling about the encroaching winter -- it seemed like a reasonable precaution.
#
WEDNESDAY
So, I'm home, having had small-a adventures, which made for a pleasantish time. I had the first appointment for the car's annual inspection, and the putting on of the new plates. A couple of filters needed to be replaced "next time for sure," but I told them to do it now, since I was all settled in, and! had a coupon, so that happened.
After, I went down to Water Street in downtown Augusta and had breakfast at Dave's, which I've never been to. Perfectly fine diner food, quick cheerful service, lots of customers, nailed a window seat. Will return. It's one of my challenges, as I go forward, finding places Steve and I did not go to regularly, so Dave's was a good discovery.
After breakfast, I backtracked to Manchester and Stained Glass Express, where I took on glass, tools, oil, but NOT a grinder, which are -- ow. It turns out that I can rent a studio at Glass Express when a studio is empty, and use all the tools there, so the Plan is to cut out my pieces, then gather them together and grind them all at once.
After my /s/p/e/n/d/i/n/g /s/p/r/e/e needful art shopping, I went over to Longfellow's Greenhouse and Gift Emporium, where I found a vacuum bottle (which I've been looking for). Now I can make a bottle of tea and take it back to Steve's office with me, so I don't have to interrupt myself to walk to the front of the house to make another mugful (YES, this is a First World Problem, and I'm glad I solved it), and some lavender soap, because -- lavender soap -- and a cardinal to hang in Steve's office. They are ALL Christmased up at Longfellow's.
After frivolous shopping, I went to Lowe's to get my long-delayed ceiling/art tile, now that a kind friend helped me to understand what, exactly, I wanted. Then I hit the Cony Street Hannaford, and home again, where?
It's dern near lunch time.
I'll get with that in a minute, but first I want to tell you about a Strange Thing that happened on my way home from needlework last night.
It was of course Dark at 6:30 and I was on my way home, no cars ahead of me (of this, I am certain, and so is the Subaru nanny), when suddenly, with no one turning into the road, there was an SUV in front of me. "Wow," I thought, "I am really tired not to have noticed there was somebody in front of me. This could have gone badly."
And about the time I finished chastising myself, a cop car came up behind me, lights flashing. I pulled over. The car in front of me pulled over, and cop pulled in right behind them.
I pulled out and continued home, arriving at the corner where the CVS is, where there were several more cop cars in the parking lot, lights flashing and several SUVs that had apparently been pulled in.
. . . which is when I began to entertain the theory that the car which had suddenly appeared ahead of me had been running without its lights in order to Not Be Noticed.
That now off my chest, I'm gonna go see what's for lunch. I defrosted a couple pieces of pork and I have some frozen skillet veggies, so that may be the way to go.
How's everybody doing today?
#
A call was made for a picture of Steve's new cardinal, which is below. The new cardinal is hanging up; it's made of tin. I gave the reindeer to Steve for Christmas manymany years ago. The black cat was a gift from someone else, and the ornament in the foreground is made out of paper and lights up. Once Sharon finds a battery for it.
I'm feeling kinda tired, so the Plan for the rest of the day is to go down to the studio to make room on the workbench for the new project before I crash, then come upstairs and do paperwork.
Tomorrow will be a writing day.
#
Ready for action. First step is to cut out my pattern pieces, but I can do that upstairs. After I finish my course description and return a contact.
#
I?
Am a Tired Woman. However! I am a Tired Woman who has managed to get all the paperwork out of here, and may therefore write tomorrow and Friday and Saturday with impunity.
After I sleep for nine hours.
I did start to handwrite the holiday letter while I was waiting for the car, but that doesn't really have a drop-deadline on it. My feeling is that the holiday letter can arrive as late as January 2 and still be legitimate.
So! Writing Rules are now in force. I may peek in Occasionally and at Odd Hours over the next three days -- or I may not. Default assumption ought to be that I'm working. Which is a good thing.
Everybody take care. Stay comfy. Hug the people you love.
Today's blog post title brought to you by 38 Special, "If I'd been the one"
Watching The Adventures of Superman
Nov. 19th, 2025 06:37 pmjames_davis_nicoll"(...) What made you ask that?"
"Because he has compassion. He aids people in trouble. He helps the weak. "
It is possible the bad guy in The Secret of Superman has issues.
Vacation or Nightmare?
Nov. 19th, 2025 04:40 pmstevenpizikshttps://percolately.com/proceed-with-vacation-reddit/
TL/DR: Hubby has a job and a small business that keep him insanely busy. Months ago, he and Wifey planned a trip to Spain with their two children (aged 15 months and 3). Now, a month away from said vacation, Hubby announces his small business has become too busy, so they need to postpone the vacay for six months. Wifey says, "Nope! I'm going anyway." Wifey is asking if either of them is an asshole.
Links: Best Books, Erotic Audio, & More
Nov. 19th, 2025 07:00 pmsmartbitches_feed
Welcome back!
How are we doing? I’m exhausted. It’s one of the weeks that has a lot in terms of work, social responsibilities, and holiday errands. I also have a hankering for banana pudding, which I haven’t had in probably over a decade.
What have you been craving lately?
…
Author and romance scholar Jodi McAlister is in People discussing the rise of audio erotica apps and how it taps into a certain kind of intimacy. Have you tried these?
…
If you like logic puzzles, may I suggest Murdle? They also have a book version, if you prefer to do these sorts of puzzles on paper. I mentioned them in the latest 2025 Holiday Gift Guide.
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Bookpage listed their Best Books of 2025. Rules of Ruin by Mimi Matthews made their top ten list! They also have separate lists by genre.
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The latest hubbub in romance discourse is the profile of 831 Stories. Shoutout to my romance Slack group at the office for bringing this to my attention. They made a very good point that 831 Stories seems to denigrate romance while trying to be part of it.
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Don’t forget to share what cool or interesting things you’ve seen, read, or listened to this week! And if you have anything you think we’d like to post on a future Wednesday Links, send it my way!
Bundle of Holding: Yeld 2E
Nov. 19th, 2025 01:59 pmjames_davis_nicoll
This new Yeld 2E Bundle presents the 2024 Second Edition of The Magical Land of Yeld, the all-ages tabletop fantasy roleplaying game from Atarashi Games about young heroes (called Friends) finding their way home.
Bundle of Holding: Yeld 2E