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
Genre: Bodice Ripper
Historical Romance Review: Captive Melody by Nadine Crenshaw
This review is of Captive Melody, a standalone Zebra from January 1989 by Nadine Crenshaw. If it were possible to give less than one star to a book, Captive Melody would be the one.
Historical Romance Review: Lady of Fire by Anita Mills
The action-packed and romantic medieval Lady of Fire by Anita Mills features one of the greatest villains ever in a historical romance novel. 5 stars
Historical Romance Review: Surrender to Love by Rosemary Rogers
In Surrender to Love by Rosemary Rogers an independent woman from Ceylon travels the world looking for love. 2 1/2 stars
Historical Romance Review: This Towering Passion by Valerie Sherwood
Lovely red-gold-haired, violet-eyed Lenore is the female protagonist of Valerie Sherwood’s This Towering Passion and the primary heroine of its sequel, Her Shining Splendor, which tells the tale of both Lenore and her daughter, Lorena, from the English Civil War to the Restoration eras. 4 stars
Category Romance Review: Seduction by Charlotte Lamb
Harlequin Presents #428 Seduction Charlotte Lamb features a ridiculously innocent and sheltered heroine and a hero that is so crazy and obsessed, he kidnaps her! 5 stars
Gothic Romance Review: The Coach to Hell by Rachel Cosgrove Payes
Coach to Hell by Rachel Cosgrove Payes is a Gothic bodice ripper romance. Georgina falls for a coachman who drives her across England to her new home, a manor filled with secrets. 2 1/2 stars
Historical Romance Review: Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell
I’m not a fan of the execution of Claiming the Courtesan. However, I thought it was refreshing what Anna Campbell tried to accomplish in her first book. I categorize this style of romance as a neo-bodice ripper, in that it attempts to capture the sexual power struggles contained in those older books, but it’s very modern in its presentation. 2 stars
Historical Romance Review: Desert Hostage by Diane Dunaway
In Diane Dunaway’s sheik romance, Desert Hostage, Karim kidnaps Juliette after he finds out she’s his enemy’s daughter. The swoon-worthy hero makes the book a keeper.
Historical Romance Review: Wicked Loving Lies by Rosemary Rogers
Wicked Loving Lies is “The Queen of Historical Romance” Rosemary Roger’s best book! It’s a bodice ripper classic, not for the faint of heart.