694. Holiday Wishes II with Agnés, Emily, Sarah Jane and Jenn

694. Holiday Wishes II with Agnés, Emily, Sarah Jane and Jenn

Author: Sarah Wendell November 28, 2025 Duration: 44:00

Ready for more wishes and recs? And bad jokes? I bet you are! This week we’re talking with Agnes, Emily, Sarah Jane, and Jenn – and Min the cat.


And in the outro, you’ll hear from ShoesforAll, aka Sarah.


And! Important announcement 1: thanks to your Patreon pledges, we have reached our goal with the F’ICE campaign, and all dynamic ads will be turned off permanently for everyone who listens. Thank you so much!


Important announcement 2: the Smart Bitches Candle Collection is LIVE! I partnered with Wax Cabin Candle Company, an independent small chandlery, to offer two limited edition candles just for the holiday season!

They are on sale now, Friday November 28, through early January, and you can buy one or both in a gift set!


The Smart Bitches 20th Anniversary candle is an 11 ounce hand poured soy candle with notes of sea salt, book pages, sandalwood and jasmine.


The Bad Decisions Book Club candle, also 11 ounces, is designed to be the perfect pairing for late night reading, with scents of sweet tobacco, book pages, leather, rose, and sandalwood. I had a marvelous time picking out the scents.


So if you’re looking for the perfect gift for yourself or the book lovers in your life, check out the 2025 Smart Bitches Candle collection. You can shop small, support the site, and spread light and warmth this year.


We also mentioned:




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If you’ve ever felt a little defensive about loving romance novels, or just want to dive deeper into the books you can’t put down, Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast is your perfect companion. Host Sarah Wendell approaches the genre with a critic’s sharp mind and a fan’s enthusiastic heart, creating conversations that are as thoughtful as they are joyful. This isn’t just author interviews, though you’ll hear brilliant voices like Ilona Andrews, Sarah J. Maas, and the wonderfully unique Chuck Tingle. The scope of the podcast is deliberately wide, bringing in reviewers, librarians, editors, and publishing professionals to examine every facet of the romance world. You’ll get honest talk about tropes and trends, the business behind the books, and why these stories resonate so powerfully with millions of readers. Regular appearances from Amanda Diehl add another layer of camaraderie and insight. Listening feels like being part of a smart, welcoming book club where no opinion is dismissed and passion is a given. It’s a celebration of a genre that dominates fiction, explored with humor, intelligence, and genuine curiosity. Whether you’re a longtime devotee or a curious newcomer, this podcast offers a rich, engaging, and deeply human look at the stories we love.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast
Podcast Episodes
654. Dialogue and Shenanigans with Kimberly Lemming [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:12
Kimberly Lemming’s new book, I Got Abducted By Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in A Rom-Com is out this week.What’s inside? A fantasy world with underfunded researchers and mishandled animal restoration caused by fiscal irres…
653. RT Rewind: February 2000 Reviews! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:14
RT is celebrating their 200th issue, and we’re celebrating, too!We’ve got the OG Monster Schtupping book, a guy whose arm appears to end in a ham, and some incredible covers. You know I’m going to tell you not to miss th…
652. Smart Bitches Turns 20 with Candy Tan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:36
My guest today is Candy Tan, who 20 years ago co-founded Smart Bitches Trashy Books with me. Yay!!We’re looking back at the founding of SBTB, about her reactions to Bridgerton, and her perennial favorite romances. We tal…
647. Finding Home: Recs and Wishes from Megan, Alanna, Sue and Rhonda [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:20
We’re traveling all over the world again, from the west coast of the US to Germany to discuss the price of PopTarts, book recommendations, and wishes for 2025 with Megan, Alanna, Sue, and Rhonda.Thank you for being part…
646. Swashbuckling and Historical Romance Classics with Elizabeth Hoyt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:49
My guest this week is Elizabeth Hoyt!! This episode was SO MUCH FUN to record and produce and I am so excited to share it with you.We talk about her latest book, No Ordinary Duchess, writer’s block, emotionally constipat…