Bodice Rippers: NO Multiple Partners for Heroine

[Mermarie]

I was aiming to organize my own lists a bit; I prefer the bodice rippers without the ferocity of gang-rapes, or sexual intercourse with other individuals despite that of the actual hero himself. I also don't like slavery--it's unacceptable for my reading material, but I adore abduction, terrorizing, psychological savagery, revenge, and so on.

Any of you guys have a softer bodice-ripper list? I wouldn't call it soft, as seeing I don't rightly mind the tortures she faces in the hands of the hero himself. :]

[[deleted user]]

Mermarie, I've taken the liberty of editing your post title for what you're looking for. Having separate threads for these specific kind of lists is something I've been putting off for a long time. So we might as well start with yours. :)

If anyone else has titles to add to Mermarie's requirements, please do!!!

This is just going from my memory....it's a little tough for me to suggest stuff because I'm an "anything goes" kind of reader. But doing my best here. LOL

Both of Teresa Denys' books have the heroine only suffering abuse from the hero.

The Flesh and the Devil
The Silver Devil

I think these by Johanna Lindsey also fit your criteria:
A Gentle Feuding
Fires of Winter - technically slavery (Viking thrall). I don't know if your ban on slavery is based on race?
Prisoner of My Desire

And Kathleen Woodiwiss:
Ashes in the Wind
The Wolf and the Dove

And some others I've read by various authors:
Above the Wind and Fire
The Kadin
The Taming
Stormfire
Whitney, My Love
The Devil's Desire
The Conqueror
Seized by Love
Never Call It Love
This Other Eden
Love, Remember Me
Lady Vixen
Rose of Rapture
Love's Wild Desire
The Sheik - an oldie (1918) but a DEFINITE goodie!
Bound by the Heart
The Ravishers - not 100% positive the h has sex only with the H

[Mermarie]

Thank you kindly, whilst I've read some of the more popular ones, I'll save this link for future reference! Muchly appreciated!

[Mermarie]

I'm currently reading: Prisoner of My Desire, and oh wow--I've cried through the first few chapters! What heartbreaking trauma those two face!!

[Sita]

Mermarie wrote: "Thank you kindly, whilst I've read some of the more popular ones, I'll save this link for future reference! Muchly appreciated!"

One of my all time favorites. :D

[Mermarie]

*Clings* I only have a couple chapters left; I don't want it to end!!

[Sita]

I completely understand. It was one of those, I can't put it down ones. I have read that one at least three times. The beginning when she didn't know "what to do" was just so sad and hysterical at the same time.

[Mermarie]

It was breaking my heart; I felt such sadness and remorse for her plight. When she whispered to him, "I'm so glad it had been you"...I believe I flung tears everywhere around the room!

I have such a huge pet peeve for villains/heroes enforcing their 'captive' into slave clothing, too. UGHHH! "Oh lawd..I'm a kept woman." -flings hand over forehead- LOL


I've been reading on Woodiwiss's, "So worthy my love"..and I cannot get into this book. It's over half finished, but it just keeps doling on endlessly --uselessly. The heroine, whilst courageous and intelligent, I felt - is quite annoying. I -encourage- my heroine to mask a hidden apprehension of her captor. LOL That's where the adrenaline is!

[Wendy, Lady Evelyn Quince]

I've been reading on Woodiwiss's, "So worthy my love"..and I cannot get into this book. It's over half finished, but it just keeps doling on endlessly --uselessly. The heroine, whilst courageous and intelligent, I felt - is quite annoying. I -encourage- my heroine to mask a hidden apprehension of her captor. LOL That's where the adrenaline is!

Ah, Woodiwiss. I have tried, and failed, many times to finish a KEW book. She just rambled incessantly and never found a dependent clause she didn't like. SWML was the first Woodiwiss I tried 20 some years ago and stopped around page 300. I liked Maxim, loved Nicholas, hated Elise. She was strong, but in all the wrong ways. When you hate the heroine, it's hard to like the book.

[Mermarie]

Same for me, concerning Nicholas! I believe I found him far more favorable than that of Maxim. Perhaps it's because Elise brought him to heel so early on. It just appeared to me, that Elise simply gave Nicholas attention to thwart/enrage Maxim, then when she accomplished that--she was done with him. I honestly couldn't help but feel she in like manner, simply switched the role of men to toy with them some more. Maxim's maturity was also into question; he seemed like a fledgling. Also, I believe the most unforgivable part of the book revolves around Maxim abducting the wrong woman. What a slap in the face? =.=

[Wendy, Lady Evelyn Quince]

<>

Yes, Nicholas was falling for her, she knew it and used him to taunt Maxim. I prefered him to Maxim, who could be a pigheaded jerk, and I don't recall if he loved Arabella, but he whined so much about her. The romance between Maxim and Elise took too long to flourish and by then I'd lost interest.

[JennyG]

Mermarie wrote: "I was aiming to organize my own lists a bit; I prefer the bodice rippers without the ferocity of gang-rapes, or sexual intercourse with other individuals despite that of the actual hero himself. I ..."

We seem to have the same taste in books Mermarie!

Read anything by Johanna Lindsey prior to 1993.
All of historicals by Judith McNaught.
Any historical by Meagan McKinney.


Island Flame and Sea Fire by Karen Robards, prequel and sequel about the same couple.
Desert Hostage by Diane Dunaway
The Conqueror by Brenda Joyce
Captive Mistress by Deborah LaVarre
Magic Embrace by Jennifer Horsman

[Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~*]

JennyG wrote: "Mermarie wrote: "I was aiming to organize my own lists a bit; I prefer the bodice rippers without the ferocity of gang-rapes, or sexual intercourse with other individuals despite that of the actual..."

All good ones Jenny! :)

[Sita]

Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~* wrote: "All good ones Jenny! :) "

I'll second that. I went to hit "like" - realized I couldn't, heh.

[Mermarie]

LOL Sita, I've been dying to LIKE so many of you guys' comments, ughh. It's unfair that you shouldn't know how much you guys so rock. :D

Jenny: I'm sorting through those now for Kindle versions, first. :D (And MOST of them, I'm thrilled to say, have Kindle versions!) Thank you kindly! Ever so often, the 'profoundly' gruesome novels can be ingested, but the 'hero-on-heroine' is my main vice!

I'm tellin' you what..I'm running myself ragged, trying to sort, organize and put these different styles into my Kindle, bookshelf, Amazon/goodreads. LOL, you guys are the curse! So many sleepless nights since I joined, and many more too, I wager. <3 muchly!

[Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~*]

Mermarie wrote: "LOL Sita, I've been dying to LIKE so many of you guys' comments, ughh. It's unfair that you shouldn't know how much you guys so rock. :D

Jenny: I'm sorting through those now for Kindle versions, f..."

But its such fun! And we are so glad to add to your addiction..welcome to the club :D

[Sita]

I have decided I need to start back-reading - probably not a real term ;)

I have read so many bodice rippers so long ago I can't remember half the stories.

[Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~*]

Sita wrote: "I have decided I need to start back-reading - probably not a real term ;)

I have read so many bodice rippers so long ago I can't remember half the stories."

Neither can I Sita,but that's what makes it so much fun..do we feel the same as when we first read it?

[Mermarie]

Sita & Sandi, I'm doing the same thing now. I barely even recall anything in A Rose in Winter. I know the premise, what actually happens at the most important points, but nothing else despite that.

When I first started reading my romance novels again, I started with Whitney, My Love. I haven't even picked up Flame& the Flower, just yet.

Then I thought, hmm--the internet.. a modern day spin on my old, underdeveloped addictions. Brava. :D Lol

[Sita]

Yeah I have been trying to build my book shelves and have added several to my "to read HR" shelf that I know I have read by title and author, but cannot remember a bit of the story. It is occurring me that there are just tons of them I am blank on. I guess that happens when you read so much.

[Mermarie]

Sita: I noticed your 'read' list, I can only hope by that time, I even remember my favorites. LOL

[Sita]

LOL! Mermarie, the really insane thing is, that is all the more recent stuff I have read. I haven't gotten to adding the old stuff which is more the bodice rippers because they were from so long ago I can't even remember half of them. I haven't added, I would say, half yet of what I have read.

It has been driving me bonkers trying to remember titles and authors and such from years ago.

[Mermarie]

Sita, did you just recently start on a scavenger hunt of those old books, too? Every single day I unearth precious books I barely recalled an incident within..then a title, or a book cover, a character's name will suddenly emerge, and I'm all, OHHH! It's amazing, truly profound, that my memory of novels exceed that of general knowledge. XD

Last night I found: Rosehaven by Catherine Coulter. The premise escapes me entirely. I believe just a fragment of the plotline concerning the animals vaguely comes to mind, but the title itself is what encourages me to believe I've read it. The title, "Rosehaven", is the name I selected for a roleplaying game I inhabited on IRC. The ones I'm anticipating more are the gothic novels, with dark moors/coastline settings..which escape me all the more. >:O

[Sita]

Yes yes! Sometimes I will recall something inane, like a scene where the heroine fell in a pond, and it's like - THE END! That is all I get. Yet at the same time that one little scene is enough to "feel" the book and remember loving it. So frustrating.

Sometimes I remember a title but NOTHING within as well or a cover..

And yeah, I am only just starting to search them all out. It is quite a process.

The good thing is that it means I have a lot of "read it like the first time" options for books that I loved dearly.

It is strange how some books just stay with you and others don't. Yet not do to disliking or anything. I can remember well most of Johanna Lindsey's books, but for some reason Kathleen E Woodwiss eludes me despite my knowing I have read most of hers.

[Mermarie]

Lol, yes..like all I recall of one novel, is that the heroine was threatened to be 'taken' on the hall table, where upon the 'dogs' would smell her, or something relative. LOL I -think- that's Rosehaven. I intend to find out very shortly, too -- I added it to my to-read list. XD

Meanwhile, Goodreads.com doesn't always notify me when threads are updated, I'm sorry for the delay.

In reference to Woodiwiss, I recalled the "Whitney, My Love" title, and the incident where he threatened to spank her. The remainder of the book eluded me.

Did you see my 'Lost books' thread? It's littered with half phrases, barely-there descriptions and my poor attempts at Zen rendering these babies back into my pile, hah. Surprisingly, it's helped me narrow down quite a few too, although there are more nagging me. Like, one book-- I know the hero was captured and sold into slavery. He served out his incarceration in Australian, clichely on a sugarcane field.

Skip several hundred pages; these incidents are all that remain within my recollection:

Anti-hero is impotent, anti-heroine withholds that information. Attempts to get herself impregnated by said anti-hero, and she had provided the 'jack', or any other random STD..which led to the impotence. Anti-hero MAY have raped the heroine too, and attempted to impregnate her, and the anti-heroine merely laughed it off to herself, knowing of the anti-hero's ballbusted condition. XD

Heroine sleeps with hero on a slaveship--yep, months without proper bathing, and she seemingly didn't 'mind'. This part stood out because I was sort of revolted. Crotch rot is not sexy, 'kay? Lol

I know the WTF factor was not lacking therein, albeit it wasn't my favorite, due to the hero/heroine without contact/apart for pretty much half of the book! The ONLY book I've accepted for 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' is Winterbourne by Susan Carroll, because he was goin' on a blasted Crusade! I've a soft spot for Knight's foregoing their missions and all that. ;D Not withstanding, I was flipping pages, scouring the lines for redemption on his part; unnerved that his foolhardy recklessness would cause his downfall.