shouldiuse.io

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VERDICT

Should I use Smart Bitches, Trashy Books?

All of the romance, none of the bullshit - smartbitchestrashybooks.com

Worth it. Use it if you read romance: it is a free, long-running review site and podcast the reader community clearly loves. There is nothing to 'buy' unless you are a fan funding the site ($9/mo) or an author buying ads.

Confidence

High. Based on 20+ public sources: site pages, Reddit, Facebook, Goodreads, and podcast listings.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support evidence found.
  • Security postureNo security evidence found.

Pricing

Free

Reader

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Supporter$9/month
AdvertisingContact for quote

Best for

  • Avid romance readers
  • Podcast listeners
  • Romance authors seeking genre coverage
  • Community bingo and challenge fans

Not for

  • Anyone shopping for software — this is a book blog
  • Teams needing CRMs, dashboards, or integrations
  • Non-romance readers
  • Authors expecting guaranteed or purchasable reviews

Gotchas - check before you buy

low

The $9/mo supporter tier funds the site; it buys no product features.

low

Ad rates are unpublished; expect a sales conversation, not a rate card.

low

Review requests are curated; many submissions will go unreviewed.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Deep review archive: 352+ pages of romance reviews.
  • 700+ podcast episodes accompany the written reviews.
  • Free to read; supporter membership is optional at $9/month.
  • Beloved by the Reddit romance community.
  • Authors report receiving high grades, like an A- review.

Cons

  • Not software: a blog and podcast, nothing to deploy or integrate.
  • Advertising pricing hidden behind a contact form.
  • No review guarantees for authors; submissions follow guidelines.

Sources & method

Analyzed 10/04/2026 - 10 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x6review x3security x1

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free content; $9/mo is optional.
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Plain blog layout, easy browsing.
  • Feature depth: 2/5. Media site, no software features.
  • Support quality. No support evidence found.
  • Security posture. No security evidence found.
  • $9/mo Supporter membership Site itself is free to read
  • Yes Free tier All reviews and podcast free
  • 352+ pages Review archive Deep back catalog of romance reviews
  • 700+ Podcast episodes Smart Podcast, Trashy Books

Pricing

Reader

Free

  • All reviews and articles
  • Podcast access

Supporter

$9/month

  • Funds site operations
  • Optional fan membership

Advertising

Contact for quote

  • Author and publisher ads

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Reddit romance readers consistently call it a favorite, trusted review source, and authors celebrate its high grades.

“Smart Bitches, Trashy Books is a fantastic review site!”
Reddit, r/RomanceBooks
“My favorite romance site”
Reddit, r/RomanceBooks
“Smart B*itches Trashy Books gave my book an A- review.”
Facebook, author video post
Full analysis

Based on 20+ public sources: site pages, Reddit, Facebook, Goodreads, and podcast listings.

Romance review blog and podcast, not software. Free to read; the $9/mo membership is purely fan support.

Methodology

Based on 20+ public sources: site pages, Reddit, Facebook, Goodreads, and podcast listings.

Sources

  1. Smart Bitches, Trashy Books homepagesmartbitchestrashybooks.com
    official
  2. Reviews Archivesmartbitchestrashybooks.com
    official
  3. Supporting Smart Bitches ($9/mo membership)smartbitchestrashybooks.com
    official
  4. Smart Bitch Advertisingsmartbitchestrashybooks.com
    official
  5. Review Requests guidelinessmartbitchestrashybooks.com
    official
  6. Podcast episode 705smartbitchestrashybooks.com
    official
  7. Reddit: fantastic review site threadreddit.com
    review
  8. Reddit: 'my favorite romance site'reddit.com
    review
  9. Facebook author post: A- reviewfacebook.com
    review
  10. Site security pagesmartbitchestrashybooks.com
    security

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