Hearts of Fire is a more satisfying sequel to the first installment of Anita Mills’ medieval romance series, Lady of Fire, than its second outing, Fire and Steel was. The forbidden romance between Richard and Gilliane de Lacey is stellar. 4 stars
Bodice Ripper
Bodice Ripper is a category designation under Historical Romance. The books usually have tropes of forced seduction, plots where the hero rapes the heroine or uses force, multiple partners, and long separations. They were published in the 1970s to 1990s and are no longer in vogue.
Free Vintage or Old School Romance Books on Amazon #2
There are so many books listed on Amazon for free to read, that we had to post some more freebies! If you have an Amazon Prime account you can borrow up to 10 books for free at a time. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, there are many books you can read for a fixed monthly fee. Enjoy more old school and classical romances available on Amazon.
Historical Romance Review: Rangoon by Christine Monson
Christine Monson was best known for her infamous, shocking bodice-ripper Stormfire, which is legendary for the protagonists’ extremely abusive revenge-based romance. Her second book Rangoon significantly turns down the crazy factor, but still retains the sensitive writing that made Stormfire so haunting and memorable. 3 1/2 stars
Historical Romance Review: Passion’s Wicked Torment by Melissa Hepburne
Melissa Hepburne’s Passion’s Wicked Torment is a balls-to-wall 20th-century bodice ripper set in the gangster era during American Prohibition. 3 stars
Historical Romance Review: The Forever Passion by Karen A. Bale
This review is of Karen A. Bale’s 1979 Zebra romance The Forever Passion. Lisa Jordan, 18, chafing under the demands placed on her in her native Boston, has decided to head west to live with her brother, Tom. She arranges to travel by wagon train and falls in love with the train scout, Josh Wade. Then things take a turn for the worst. 3 stars
Historical Romance Review: The Frost and the Flame by Drusilla Campbell
Drusilla Campbell’s The Frost and the Flame is one of those naughty bodice rippers where the heroine is separated for a long period of time from her true love, the dull, hero, and instead spends more time with the lusty, evil villain. This is the kind of bodice ripper I like: one that does not take itself seriously and knows how to throw crazy tropes at you, so you’ll keep the pages turning, even if the story is not really romantic. 4 1/2 stars
Dueling Review: Desperado Dream by Karen A. Bale #1 (Blue Falcon)
In this new segment, we have two reviewers offering their opinions on a single romance. Blue Falcon gives Karen A. Bale’s Desperado Dream a positive review and found the book emotionally captivating. Introvert Reader, on the other hand, explains her negative perspective of the historical romance in her review. 4 1/2 stars
Dueling Review: Desperado Dream by Karen A. Bale #2 (Introvert Reader)
In this new segment, we have two reviewers offering their opinions on a single romance. Here, Introvert Reader explains her negative perspective of Karen A. Bale’s historical romance, Desperado Dream. Blue Falcon, on the other hand, gave it a positive review and found the book emotionally captivating. 1 star
Historical Romance Review: So Speaks the Heart by Johanna Lindsey
It’s fair to compare So Speaks the Heart (which should be subtitled: Medieval Norman Psychopath Falls for French Co-Dependent and Fellow Anger Management Classmate) to another of Johanna Lindsey’s works, A Pirate’s Love, which had a similar captor/captive trope. 4 stars
Historical Romance Review: Sea Jewel by Penelope Neri
Sea Jewel by Penelope Neri is a bodice-ripper Viking romance with a resilient heroine. While it also has some troubling problematic plot elements, it ultimately deserves a five-star rating. 5 Stars