Bodice Ripper Novels ✿

PUB. INFO: Kensington, 6/2013
GENRE: Historical Mystery
SETTING: England, early 1800s
MY GRADE: C

FROM PUBLISHER: Since the age of sixteen, Arabella Beaumont has been happily employed as a highly paid woman of pleasure. True, respectable ladies of the ton would never deign to call at Lustings, her delightful home. Then again, Arabella has no desire to make dreary small talk and sip tea when she could be enjoying the company of amusing, intelligent, and extremely generous gentlemen.

But while Arabella’s admirers are legion, she also has enemies. A paper knife stolen during one of her salons was discovered near the body of a former rival. Arabella was entertaining her wealthy benefactor on the night of the murder, but the engaged duke can’t provide the alibi she desperately needs. It falls to Arabella and her resourceful sister, Belinda, to clear her good—or at least innocent—name. Utilizing all the talents in her arsenal, the irrepressible Miss Beaumont will endeavor to catch the real culprit, before the hangman catches up to her…

MY THOUGHTS: Arabella is in her mid-twenties. We got no backstory on her at all which is a big mistake for an author to omit that information. I learned nothing about how she came to be a courtesan. Why someone set her up to be accused of murder is a mystery too. The story was silly and dull, PG-13 rated and just too plain and simple. I felt Arabella didn’t take the murder accusation too seriously. Yes, she, with the help of a few people, tried to solve the mystery on her own and did solve it. That part was just not believable. How the real murderer came to be arrested was not believable either.

This seems like a short story that was written by a thirteen year old and I can’t recommend it to anyone.

I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pub. Info: Dell, 2/1981
Setting: Caribbean & France, 1768
Genre: Historical Romance
Bodice Ripper? Yes
My Grade: C

SHE WAS A FEVER RACING THROUGH HIS BLOOD

Untamed, unpredictable, utterly captivating, Christina was determined to live free as the wind–yet was fatally bound to the one man whose passion could imprison her forever.

HE BURNED LIKE A FLAME IN HER HEART

A handsome privateer, the banished son of a Scottish earl, Kade roamed the seas, thriving on danger and the intrigue of a turbulent age. From her lush Caribbean paradise. Christina fled to the dazzling salons of Paris. But Kade had vowed to pursue her across the world… to make her see that at the end of her perilous journey lay the ecstasy they were powerless to resist and a glorious destiny forged by…The Devil’s Love.

MY THOUGHTS: This story spans about three years. Christina Evrion is the heroine and is seventeen when it starts. She has blonde hair and light blue eyes. Kade Renault is the hero and his age wasn’t given but I’m assuming he’s in his thirties. There’s usually a big age gap between hero and heroine in these old books. He has black hair and blue eyes.

Christina is a strange heroine. I think French is her native tongue. Until the end she never really even liked Kade and wanted a divorce. They’d met briefly once. Christina’s father died and she couldn’t inherit her money until she married. She had a terrible relationship with her stepmother, Hilda, and needed to get away from her and live on her own. Christina needed to marry to claim her inheritance so she asked Kade to marry her. She assumed he was going to die within a few days because he’d been captured by the Spanish. They married and much to her horror, he didn’t die. She wanted to get a divorce but he didn’t want to.

I liked Kade alright but Christina seemed slightly arrogant to me. When they were together I was just uninterested because nothing really happened between them. During the story they lived apart most of the time. He did cheat on her once with her childhood nemesis, Carlotta, while Christina was in France for over a year visiting relatives.

Really the only interesting part of the whole story took place during the last 100 pages or so when she was in France. Her male cousin, Dominique (curly blond hair and green eyes) is a very interesting character, in my opinion. He masquerades as a highwayman, robbing and murdering people. She’s staying at his parents’s home with him and his sisters. He becomes obsessed with her and ends up drugging and raping her. He also uses women terribly and when he gets yet another one, named Gabrielle, pregnant and wants nothing to do with her, she goes off the deep end and does something terrible…to them both.

The most boring part of the story is near the beginning over a chapter was devoted to how her Scottish father came to live in the Caribbean and how he met her deceased mother. I couldn’t have cared less about their backstory.

There was some typical bodice ripper violence near the end when Kade traveled to France to be with Christina. He smacked her once and another time, spanked her. He’s clearly physically and verbally abusive (calls her a cold bitch often) but I don’t think the title suits him at all.

I’m disappointed with this book but did really like the last part and all the things involving Dominique. Sadly, this isn’t a keeper.

Pub. Info: Gallery Books, 7/2012, Hardcover
Genre: Memoir/Autobiography
My Grade: A-

From Publisher: Drunk and high, holed up in a hotel room with a beautiful blonde she barely knew, Jennie Ketcham was thirty-six hours away from entering rehab. Her on-camera alter ego, Penny Flame, was a rising star. Her personal life, however, had been getting worse for years and finally hit an all-time low.
Guys are gonna want one thing from you. To Jennie’s young ears, her father’s advice meant one thing: You can use your sexuality to control men. Life was imploding around her: her parents’ divorce, their spiraling addictions, her deteriorating relationships with them. She lost her virginity at thirteen and began a game of initiating boys her age into manhood. For the fleeting moments she spent in bed with them, she got to be the center of attention.

Eventually, Jennie found porn—that enticing world of immediate gratification, endless drugs, and seemingly endless money—and became Penny Flame. Divorced from her feelings, tempted into a lifestyle she couldn’t afford, financially or emotionally, she entered Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew to boost her career. But when Dr. Drew and his staff insisted she go by her real name, the once indestructible walls she had built around herself began to burn down.

Two stories make up this direct and disarming memoir: that of a troubled girl desperately fleeing intimacy and herself, and that of a woman courageously breaking down emotional barriers to build a new life. Many will recognize Jennie’s struggles: confusing sex with self-worth, addiction with love, detachment with strength. Ultimately, I Am Jennie is a tale of a woman who considers herself a work in progress but who finally understands that the only person she can truly afford to be is herself.

MY THOUGHTS: I was excited to see that Jennie had written a book. I’d first heard of her when she was on VH1′s Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew, then its spinoff, Sober House. I’ve since seen one of her films (great scene in Reform School Girls, by the way!).

I really appreciate when adult actors tell us their stories. I don’t understand what lead Jennie into becoming a promiscuous teenager or drug abuser. I never felt like her home life was bad and would like to understand that better. I don’t see how her parents unhappy marriage could have sent her down a dangerous path.

She never discussed when she realized she was bisexual, how she felt about it nor did she mention if she ever discussed with a therapist being raped on a train. She also didn’t mention if she thought doing porn was having some impact on her drug use.

The best part of the book was near the end when she met with an ex-boyfriend to apologize to him for her behavior while they were dating. That part really touched me. The funniest part was when she was talking with fellow actor and agent (?) Ben English and answered him in a faux British accent to mimic his.

The comment from her father in the synopsis about guys only wanting one thing from her isn’t in full context. He said it to her because she was dressed in a short skirt when she was twelve or thirteen. He was letting her know that if she dressed like that, boys would only want one thing.

She’s very honest and explicit and seems to have a great personality. The book was an interesting read and I’d recommend it to anyone who has a interest in the adult films. I happen to enjoy watching porn (I have plenty of it) but I’m happy she got out of the industry since she felt it wasn’t the place for her any longer. According to her blog, Becoming Jennie, she seems to be doing fine and I wish her the best.

I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Same review here.

Pub. Info: Topaz, 1997
Original Pub: Signet, 1981/88 under title An Honorable Offer
Setting: England, 1814
Genre: Historical Romance
Bodice Ripper? No
My Grade: C

From Publisher: MEN WERE ALL BEASTS THAT SABRINA WAS DETERMINED TO BEST

Lovely young Sabrina Eversleigh, granddaughter of the esteemed Earl of Monmouth first learned of the disreputable desires of men when her dissolute brother-in-law attempted to force himself upon her.

Thus when Sabrina met Phillip Mercerault, it came as no surprise to tier that this handsome, dashing Viscount kept a mistress in London and showed no shame about the many conquests and liaisons of his notorious love life.

Sabrina was sure that with so many women to serve his needs, Phillip would be quite satisfied to accept her wealth and leave her person alone if she became his wife. But two things Sabrina did not count on in her cold calculations: the heat of her own blood and the hunger of her heart…

MY THOUGHTS: This story started out pretty interesting. Sabrina is just eighteen. She has red hair and violet eyes. Her older sister, Elizabeth, twenty-three, is a jealous, nasty person, as is her twenty-seven year old husband, Trevor. Elizabeth is a bit controlled by him but because of her personality I can’t feel sorry for her. She’s a horrible person. She’s so blinded by her jealousy of Sabrina that she truly doesn’t care that she was almost raped by Trevor and insisted that Sabrina was lying.

After Sabrina and the hero, twenty-six year old Phillip, meet, the story got a bit boring and stayed that way until the end. I don’t like or dislike Phillip. He’s not alpha or beta, just somewhere inbetween. After they married he did continue to see his mistress but that didn’t bother me. Something’s lacking with this character that I just can’t put my finger on. They got along really well for most of the story. There wasn’t much conflict between them and that’s something I need. I hate when hero and heroine get along too well. Boring.

One character that I did like was Sabrina’s aunt, Lady Barresford. She’s so unlikible. When Sabrina went to live with her and told about the attempted rape she called her a liar and said she tried to seduce Trevor. Such a nasty bitch, that woman is. She has no reason at all to think that of Sabrina. She even tried to get her hands of Sabrina’s inheritance!

Teresa Elliott was a semi-interesting character. She’s loved Phillip for a while and was really jealous and angry when he married Sabrina. I really though she was going to try and harm Sabrina but she never bothered her. To be honest, that’s the main reason I finished reading this book.

I wasn’t too happy with this story and even though Catherine is one of my top favorite authors, I won’t be keeping this. Same review here.

Pub. Info: Grand Central Publishing, 1/2013
First Published: 2011 in the UK
Genre: Historical Fiction
Setting: England, late 1700s
Author Site: Link
My Grade: A-

From Publisher: Set during a period of revolution and turmoil, Mistress of My Fate is the first book in a trilogy about Henrietta Lightfoot, a young woman who was abandoned as a baby and raised alongside her cousins, noble children of a lord and lady. At just sixteen years old, circumstance and a passionate love affair tear Henrietta (Hetty) away from everything she knows, leading to a new life fending for herself on the streets of 18th century London as a courtesan, gambler, and spirited intellect of the city.

MY THOUGHTS:

Henrietta/Hetty: A lonely, naive teenager with only her cousin for a friend. She found herself in dire straits a few times and made some adult decisions because she felt she had no choice.  She did the best she could.

Lady Catherine: Hetty’s spoiled cousin. Not the nicest person to Hetty. I enjoy secondary characters like her a whole lot. I wish her character and her maids had been around longer. I just know she had some evil up her sleeve.

John St. John: Her mother’s ex-lover. He’s forty-four and she becomes his mistress at seventeen. I like him at first but he becomes so jealous that I start to get tired of him.

George Allenham: Hetty’s love interest. I liked him at the beginning but as the story when on and he wasn’t in it too much I began to dislike his character. I never understood why Hetty was so obsessed with being with him. I didn’t think he was worth her time.

Philip Quindell: Hetty’s ‘protector’. He’s about twenty-four, lovestruck/boderline obsessive and immature. I found him to be a bit annoying.

This was an enjoyable read told in first person narration. It spans about three years. Most of the story takes place in England and the last part, France.

My favorite part is when Hetty becomes St. John’s mistress and devises a great plan to escape. I can’t tell you anymore about it! My least favorite part is the last sixty-five pages or so. The story went in a different direction that I was expecting and it was a real letdown. I wish the last part could be rewritten, especially the ending.

This is one of just a few books that I’ve read lately that I really liked. I like historical fiction where the heroine is down on her luck or facing bad circumstances. There was something lacking in this. It needed more twists and turns, needed to be darker. It was a bit too mild. Accoring to the author’s website, the next in the series,  The French Lession, is to be darker. Yay!

Henrietta has her own website! Link.

I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

PUB. INFO: Brava, 6/2012
GENRE: Historical Romance
SETTING: England, 1546
AUTHOR SITE: link
PURCHASE: link
MY GRADE: C

From Publisher: A Dangerous Game

As Lady Justina Wincott’s brutal guardian, Viscount Biddeford promises any disobedience from her will cost her son dearly. A pawn in his games of court treachery, the beautiful widow is forced to tempt secrets from his enemies and seduce allegiance from his friends. Yet even Biddeford’s wrath won’t make Justina sully the only man of honor she’s ever known…

Sir Synclair has earned his honor in blood and muck. War taught him the way to victory is rarely clean–but the passion Justina sparks in him is not to be ignored. Never mind the predators who crave her beauty, or Biddeford’s ruthless wiles; he will have her as his wife. And yet if he is to wed Justina, his fiercest battle may be with the lady herself…

MY THOUGHTS: What a disappointment. Neither main character was very interesting to me nor was the thin plot, which was too tame and boring. Justina is under the thumb of a terrible man, Biddeford. He’s the most interesting character in the book. Predictably, bad things come his way.

Synclair is very alpha and I never understood his obsession with wanting to marry Justina. The sex scenes were very explicit and I enjoyed them. Sadly, the sex was the best part of the whole story.

This was my first Mary Wine book and I think it’ll be my last.

I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pub. Info: Zebra Heartfire, 11/1987
Setting: West Indies, unknown date
Genre: Historical Romance
Bodice Ripper? Yes
My Grade: B-

PROUD SLAVE
Kathleen O’Connor refused to give in to despair. She’d proven how strong she could be–she’d survived weeks of terror in the dark hold of a pirate ship and had bravely faced the humiliation of the auction block. Now that she’d been sold to Captain Kade Morgan, it was time she planned her escape. The Irish beauty thought of his tall, muscular frame and sparkling ebony eyes and sighed. It would not be easy to flee the handsome pirate, especially when her traitorous body yearned for the rough magic of his embrace. But she’d be no man’s slave–not even if her master had already tamed her wild heart!

ARROGANT MASTER
Kade appraised his raven-haired prize with growing admiration. She had courage, all right. After all she’d been through, her blue-green eyes still gleamed with pride and fury. He had no desire to break her spirit, but he ached to replace that fury with willing passion. She was his to command and he had but one request–that she give herself to him with all the glorious fire in her soul. If she needed some… persuasion, he’d gladly supply it. He’d tease her full, red lips with searing kisses, he’d stroke her ivory skin until she writhed beneath his knowing touch. And in the end he’d possess all the wanton sweetness of his Defiant Captive.

MY THOUGHTS/SPOILER SUMMARY: This story started out good. Seventeen year old Kathleen was kidnapped and held for ransom. It was orchestrated by Quint Cathcart. He wants to buy her Arabian horse, Taran, but her father won’t sell it. He and his men go there to steal the horse but can’t find it, so they kidnap Kathleen instead and plan to hold her for ransom in exchange for her horse. Right before she’s kidnapped, they burn her home to the ground and her mother dies in it. The ransom note they send to her father is accidentaly sent to her neighbor, Silas Pennington. 

Her kidnapper, Quint, is angry about something so he sells her at auction. Thirty-five year old Scotsman Captain Kade Morgan buys her with the intention of sending her back to wherever she came from. She’s held prisoner on his ship and Kade, in true bodice ripper fashion, treats her badly. The first sex scene is what I’d call forced seduction. All the sex scenes with them are spicy.

The rest of the story is very boring but there’s a bit of action right at the end involving Silas.