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28th out of 240 books
—
325 voters
Sweet Savage Love (Morgan-Challenger #1)
Ginny Brandon is swept from the ballrooms of Paris to the desert sands of Mexico and into the arms of charismatic mercenary Steve Morgan. But this fearless heroine and "hero of all heroes" must first endure countless unforeseen dangers before they can enjoy sensual, exhilarating passion that burns between them.
Mass Market Paperback, 712 pages
Published
August 1st 2001
by Mira Books
(first published January 1st 1974)
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Apr 28, 2011
Karla (Mossy Love Grotto)
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who wants a lush, gutsy read
Shelves:
bodice-ripper,
historical-romance,
civil-war-and-reconstruction,
rape,
western-and-pioneers,
abduction,
hero-alpha,
hero-cheating,
hero-jealous-possessive,
hero-is-chained-in-my-basement,
keepers,
mexico-and-south-america,
smutty-favorites,
spies,
rosemary-fucking-rogers,
5-stars,
bring-your-big-girl-panties,
eww-eww-ick-they-said,
total-crackfest
Because 5 measly stars is so woefully inadequate.
You should see my copy of this book. It came without covers, front AND back. Truly a rarity in my collection, but it was a freebie on Paperbackswap, so I couldn't complain. It now sports a hot pink cover (courtesy of card stock from the office supply closet - thievery for a good cause) with a B&W xerox of the cover image (courtesy of the internet), and it's all laminated in packing tape from the local Dollar Store.
I am nothing if not resourcef...more
Sep 30, 2012
LuvGirl
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
rake-playboy,
bodice-ripper,
cheating-hero,
heroine-mistress,
american-setting,
pp-heroine-raped-by-many,
anti-hero,
heroine-goes-through-too-much,
out-of-print-paperback,
kin-p,
historical,
hard-core-rake,
cruel-heroes,
slapped,
dirty-rotten-scoundrel,
woppers,
4-stars,
favorite-hero,
favorite-heroine,
hard-to-get-hero,
owned-keeper
****SPOILERS****
READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
This book took me on some wild ride! I've had it on my to read shelf for a while now but was always intimidated to read it since I've heard far and wide about the abuse the heroine had to endure. I admit I was a wuss before, but I am a wuss no longer! The verbal sparring and fighting between Ginny and Steve was off the charts! They were a bunch of nut jobs and I loved it! Steve Morgan is a rake, and I don't mean the type of rake that everyone says is a rake...more
READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
This book took me on some wild ride! I've had it on my to read shelf for a while now but was always intimidated to read it since I've heard far and wide about the abuse the heroine had to endure. I admit I was a wuss before, but I am a wuss no longer! The verbal sparring and fighting between Ginny and Steve was off the charts! They were a bunch of nut jobs and I loved it! Steve Morgan is a rake, and I don't mean the type of rake that everyone says is a rake...more
6 likes · like · see review
Jun 21, 2011
Kerrie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
those Old Skool students of bodice rippers
Recommended to Kerrie by:
Karla (Mossy Love Grotto)
Damn you, Rosemary Rogers!
Any attempt to compose a review of your cracktastic epics results in a complete implosion of logical thought processes and reason! Not to mention that I begin to question my ethics, values, and moral compass when at the turn of every page my sane brain says "This is CRAZY!" and the other half screams "More, more, MORE!!!!" This entire review will be a struggle to remain coherent, but I'll try. Rosemary's enthralling chaos makes plot summaries impossible. "Stuff happens...more
Any attempt to compose a review of your cracktastic epics results in a complete implosion of logical thought processes and reason! Not to mention that I begin to question my ethics, values, and moral compass when at the turn of every page my sane brain says "This is CRAZY!" and the other half screams "More, more, MORE!!!!" This entire review will be a struggle to remain coherent, but I'll try. Rosemary's enthralling chaos makes plot summaries impossible. "Stuff happens...more
8 likes · like · see review
I could not believe that no one had made a movie out of this book when I read it years ago. This was my first historical romance novel and I could not put it down. The writing was so colorful and Rosemary Rogers made Mexico sound so romantic. I eventually tired of "bodice rippers" like these and the impossibly gorgeous heroes and heroines who hated each other through most of the story as they lusted after each other in spite of themselves. The title says it all. But I remember "Sweet Savage Love...more
From DoraLady @ Ami:
'It is a tough read. The heroine gets raped and abused not only by the hero but by others.'
'It is a tough read. The heroine gets raped and abused not only by the hero but by others.'
This was literaly the first romance I ever read was when I was young. Of course, now I'm 45 and the love scenes have been surpassed by a few other writers but they're still good. I was first married and my mother-in-law gave it to me when she saw how bored I was since I was allowed to work. I remember being shocked by the romance scenes. I was fascinated by the incredibly strong-willed leading lady. Not to mention the very forceful hero. I have read this book many times and it never fails me. I...more
Nov 15, 2012
Sammy
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Bodice Ripper Lovers
Shelves:
abducted,
bad-ass-heroine,
cheaters-suck,
favorites,
forced-seduction,
gangbang-party-favor,
heroine-raped,
historical-romance,
library-book,
man-whore,
stalkerific-alpha,
violent-rape-scene-beware,
violence-torture-gore,
virgins-like-sex-too,
as-many-dicks-as-you-can-get,
angst-upon-angst,
bodice-ripper
Wow! I feel as if I've been run over by a steamroller! I found this book to be very emotionally intense. There was even a point in the book when I asked myself " Can I continue to read this? " The book revolves around Virginia "Ginny" and Steve Morgan.
Their relationship can only be described as a love/ hate relationship on steroids, laced with crack, while funneling tequila! Mix in a little smuggling, war, espionage, adultery, torture and a lot of rape. All of this takes place in Paris, the US,...more
Their relationship can only be described as a love/ hate relationship on steroids, laced with crack, while funneling tequila! Mix in a little smuggling, war, espionage, adultery, torture and a lot of rape. All of this takes place in Paris, the US,...more
Sweet Savage Love is the story of the beautiful daughter of a U.S. Senator who was raised by her in-laws in France named Ginny Brandon. She journeys to America to be with her father and his new wife. Used to a fine style of living, Ginny soon finds herself on a wagon train west with her stepmother guarded by the ruggedly handsome Steve Morgan. Much adventure ensues.
Sweet Savage Love is a romance in the old school. In that there are scenes of violence towards women and the type of romance that re...more
Sweet Savage Love is a romance in the old school. In that there are scenes of violence towards women and the type of romance that re...more
My full review is here on my personal website. I'll post a few excerpts here, though:
4.5 out of 5.0 stars
The very worst thing about this book is that it is exactly what it sounds like: a no-brainer, cotton candy, fluffy romance novel. I think the proper term is “bodice ripper.” All in all, this isn’t a book I would recommend to everyone, but it is a book that I would recommend to romance readers. :-)
The very best thing about this book is that it can really stick with you. I first read this book...more
4.5 out of 5.0 stars
The very worst thing about this book is that it is exactly what it sounds like: a no-brainer, cotton candy, fluffy romance novel. I think the proper term is “bodice ripper.” All in all, this isn’t a book I would recommend to everyone, but it is a book that I would recommend to romance readers. :-)
The very best thing about this book is that it can really stick with you. I first read this book...more
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
And that was partly because it was so sensual, raw and explicit to a then 17 years old boy. 12 years on, and I can still remember vividly the exact title of the book, word by word. I remember well the white cover with the 70's style font rendition and... who could have forgotten about the red tint that surrounded the edge of the pages. Yes, this book was released in 1974 - I read it in 1998. Despite the already ancient look and feel of the physical appearance of the book - the...more
And that was partly because it was so sensual, raw and explicit to a then 17 years old boy. 12 years on, and I can still remember vividly the exact title of the book, word by word. I remember well the white cover with the 70's style font rendition and... who could have forgotten about the red tint that surrounded the edge of the pages. Yes, this book was released in 1974 - I read it in 1998. Despite the already ancient look and feel of the physical appearance of the book - the...more
The book that started it all.
Everyone's first modern romance novel they read in the 70s at age 14-20 or thereabouts. Who can forget Ginny and Steve.
Love to see everyone giving it either 1-star or 5! The granddaddy of all romance novels deserves nothing less than an extreme, high-drama reaction. Yes, it said the "F-word" and the hero rapes the heroine and she loves it (what the hell is he supposed to do after he's ripped her bodice? Apologize?).
Hell, yes, rape and sex are about power and exactly...more
Everyone's first modern romance novel they read in the 70s at age 14-20 or thereabouts. Who can forget Ginny and Steve.
Love to see everyone giving it either 1-star or 5! The granddaddy of all romance novels deserves nothing less than an extreme, high-drama reaction. Yes, it said the "F-word" and the hero rapes the heroine and she loves it (what the hell is he supposed to do after he's ripped her bodice? Apologize?).
Hell, yes, rape and sex are about power and exactly...more
8 likes · like · see review
I wasn't a big fan of this book. Being a huge romance novel fan, I was looking forward to reading this as I had heard it was a revolutionary novel in the history of romance. But, unfortunately, Rogers... Rape is still rape even way back then. I found neither of the characters really endearing. Steve is crude and a rapist. There's very little tenderness about him. Maybe in the '70s rape in which he doesn't beat the woman was considered romantic. In 2013, however, that is still considered rape. Gi...more
Was really surprised at how "low" the hero was. He really didn't care what he put the heroine through - I didn't even realise this until the middle of the book.
To be honest, I skimmed this book because even though I like detail and don't appreciated event-driven books, I got bored pretty quickly.
However, I loved the fact that this was no-holds-bar, gritty and realistic portrayal of how two "real" ppl would had experienced and felt if placed in that situation.
I mean, how realistic would it had...more
To be honest, I skimmed this book because even though I like detail and don't appreciated event-driven books, I got bored pretty quickly.
However, I loved the fact that this was no-holds-bar, gritty and realistic portrayal of how two "real" ppl would had experienced and felt if placed in that situation.
I mean, how realistic would it had...more
1974 you say? Thank God for recommendations or I might never have come across Sweet Savage Love. Indeed it is a romance but it is so much more. Hero and Heroine are moved on tides made by multiple governments, titles, secret agents, and war. There is a severe lack of honor in our hero, discomforting at the best of times, but somehow I could not help but be on his side. The heroine is really the centerpiece with her endurance and courage and her ability to survive. She undergoes a transformation...more
I loved this book. The way that Rosemary Rogers discribed the wagon train and how hard it was I found to feel realistic. I loved that it wasnt done in three pages.Steve and Ginny had a love/hate realationship through most of the book,though at the begining it was mostly hate. It was fun to watch the sparks fly when ever those two got together.
I read this book when I was 11 or 12. Oh, sure, with the internets today, by the time a kid is that age, they've seen donkey shows and worse, but back in nineteen-eighty-something, this was quite the eye-opener. Porn without pictures. It was freaking awesome. I read it, I think my friends read it, who knows how many fifth-grade girls learned about pretty much everything (except donkey shows) from that very copy before I got it back? Thank you, library sale!
After I had read and re-read and re-re...more
After I had read and re-read and re-re...more
1 like · like · see review
Loved it! LOVED IT!!! Pure unadulterated entertainment from THE Rosemary Rogers. This is what I call a fulfilling read baby! This book has it all - great writing, brilliant plot, adventure+romance with the perfect amount of wtf factor, but let's get straight to the point. My favourite thing about this book is the current owner of my heart - Steve Morgan. Aaaah what do I say about my dearest Esteban...? What I really liked about his character is how he remained a jerk till the end of the book lol...more
I read this back in the 70's. My first romance novel. I fell in love with her characters. She wrote two more sequels with these characters. I read a few more of her books before I tired of the romance tales. I wonder if I would enjoy them today or is it better to keep the fond memories????
A Worthy Classic That Influenced the Genre of Historical Romance, But More Savage than Love.
This was Rogers’ first novel and it became a best seller and an all time classic in modern historical romance. Her writing is superb and her storytelling truly excellent. Published in 1974, it was also one of the first to throw open the bedroom door and include subjects like rape and violence against the heroine, all woven into an intricate plot. Set in the late 1800s in the American West and Mexico (duri...more
This was Rogers’ first novel and it became a best seller and an all time classic in modern historical romance. Her writing is superb and her storytelling truly excellent. Published in 1974, it was also one of the first to throw open the bedroom door and include subjects like rape and violence against the heroine, all woven into an intricate plot. Set in the late 1800s in the American West and Mexico (duri...more
Mar 22, 2010
MissyC323 C
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorite-keeper-books
5 stars purely for sentimental reasons. At 16, this was my first ever
adult romance book. (my parents would have grounded my for a year if they had known!!)
I devoured the pages, big-eyed...mouth open...heart pounding.
It changed my reading habits for life. I was 'hooked on romance'.
I have gone on to change my reading tastes many many times since then.
And re-reading this book, sadly, just isn't the same. I cringe at the classic 'bodice ripper' scenes, the TSTL heroine, the cheating and really jack-...more
adult romance book. (my parents would have grounded my for a year if they had known!!)
I devoured the pages, big-eyed...mouth open...heart pounding.
It changed my reading habits for life. I was 'hooked on romance'.
I have gone on to change my reading tastes many many times since then.
And re-reading this book, sadly, just isn't the same. I cringe at the classic 'bodice ripper' scenes, the TSTL heroine, the cheating and really jack-...more
This is the story of Ginny Brandon. She was living the high life until she went to live with her father in the States. She finds herself in Mexico. Her father is shipping some merchandise across the west with Ginny and her step Mom. Steve Morgan is hired to lead the team across the terrain. Steve starts having feelings (sexual) for Ginny and she also likes him back - at the beginning. That is how this horror story begins.
This is a horrible book. Not for the reasons you might think. I know she g...more
This is a horrible book. Not for the reasons you might think. I know she g...more
1 like · like · see review
Sep 26, 2012
Anne-marie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
great-reads,
my-favorite-love-stories
I read this when I was 17, then in my 20's twice. I love this novel of love blossoming between an outlaw and a lady, Steve and Ginny. I can see them right now: her gown so resplendent in green that match her eyes and he in his long pants with high boots and hat, smoldering eyes and sardonic gaze he gives Ginny as she walks around the barroom. The sensuality/sexuality/and the actual descriptions of the preliminary acts of lovemaking, shaped a 17 year old's romantic mind and craving for more racy...more
My first and most beloved and reread Romance other than the Wolf and the Dove. Readers and reviewers should keep in mind the book publication time frame, mid 70's, and the originality of this novel at that time.
This was a ground breaking novel. It was a shocking and very welcomed departure from the Regency etc. romances of the time! Rosemary Rogers was one of the first to write much more explicit sex scenes. She also departed from the stereotypical heroes and heroines by making them much more fl...more
This was a ground breaking novel. It was a shocking and very welcomed departure from the Regency etc. romances of the time! Rosemary Rogers was one of the first to write much more explicit sex scenes. She also departed from the stereotypical heroes and heroines by making them much more fl...more
well this is my 'very' first time to post a review of a particular novel. I'm quite undecided and in-between whether to give a positive or a negative review or whatever. Well I won't give any spoilers in reference to the other reviews that already shared their piece because I don't want to give away too much, and I still have yet to finish this one because I'm just half-way through it and still need to read the rest of the saga hehe and I know my opinion/review is not much relevant because I sti...more
I read this back in the 70s, and a couple of times since. At the height of the "bodice-ripper" craze, this rips more bodices than any other. In fact, rape becomes routine (and amazingly, our intrepid heroine, who is only 16 when her ordeal begins, never gets pregnant or a venereal disease). The hero, who was based on Clint Eastwood (according to an interview with the author), also gets his fair share of being raped. Then there are beatings and kidnappings. Steve Morgan kidnaps Ginny, presumably...more
I bought this book back in 2004 based on a recommendation on a Yahoo book group I was on. Can't remember what specifically they were recommending it for, but I think "Outlander" was brought up in the same conversation.
The books are similar in that they're historical, they're epic, and they don't just show the positive side of history.
This is one of those books that grows on you as you read it. And, by the end, I was hooked. I see there are 5 more books in the series. Unfortunately, they don't a...more
The books are similar in that they're historical, they're epic, and they don't just show the positive side of history.
This is one of those books that grows on you as you read it. And, by the end, I was hooked. I see there are 5 more books in the series. Unfortunately, they don't a...more
Sweet savage love was the first graphic romance novel I ever read, I do read romance novels but they are more on the lines of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, North and South Etc. Although I am accustomed to other kinds of romance novels, I actually liked the book. I liked the characters and the setting, though I did not like how much turmoil they had to go through to be together, I felt like I was watching a Mexican Soap Opera, well it was set in Mexico so I guess not unexpected.
This is a true bodiceripper. I don't give it 5 stars because of the love story in it, but because of its entertainment value. The hero and heroine are INCREDIBLY flawed, but that what makes it so good. The hero does things to the heroine that are almost unforgivable. The heroine makes her share of mistakes. Both of them have horrible things done to them and are scarred people in the end. When it comes down to it, though, they love each other and that's that.
Oh my gosh, I had forgotten all about this book until I noticed it on someone else's all-time-favorite list. It was probably the first real romance novel I ever read, sometime back in the early '80s. And wow, it was a doozie. I remember enjoying it immensely at the time, although it's not the type of book I gravitate toward these days. For those of you taking it on now, enjoy! They don't write 'em like that anymore.
This book is a very hard read. There are harsh scenes that you rarely see. It's difficult to shock me, but I found my jaw dropped numerous times. The author was fantastic. It was very well written and put together. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because there was so little positive to offset all the horrible things that happened and because it's LONG. Definitely worth the read, though, if you have the stomach.
5 likes · like · see review
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There is more than one author with this name
Rosemary Jansz Navaratnam Rogers Kadison
Rosemary Jansz was born on 7 December 1932 in Panadura, Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka), she was the oldest child of Dutch-Portuguese settlers, Barbara "Allan" and Cyril Jansz. Her father was a wealthy educator who owned three posh private schools. She was raised in colonial splendor: dozens of servants, no work, s...more
More about Rosemary Rogers...
Rosemary Jansz Navaratnam Rogers Kadison
Rosemary Jansz was born on 7 December 1932 in Panadura, Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka), she was the oldest child of Dutch-Portuguese settlers, Barbara "Allan" and Cyril Jansz. Her father was a wealthy educator who owned three posh private schools. She was raised in colonial splendor: dozens of servants, no work, s...more
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Aug 26, 2012 04:59am
Mar 02, 2013 08:41pm