SSF LOGO 150

Sweet Savage Flame

Old School Romance From Avon to Zebra

Menu
  • Blog
    • Latest Posts
    • Monthly Wrap Ups
  • Book Reviews
    • Reviews by Author
    • Reviews by Ratings
      • 5 stars
      • 4 stars and a half
      • 4 stars
      • 3 stars and a half
      • 3 stars
      • 2 stars and a half
      • 2 stars
      • 1 star and a half
      • 1 star
    • Reviews by Title
    • Reviews by Genre
    • Reviews by Plots, Tropes, or Setting
    • Reviews by Publisher
    • Reviews by Imprint or Line
    • Category Romance Reviews
    • Historical Romance Reviews
  • Authors
    • Author Pseudonyms
    • Rebecca Brandewyne
    • Emma Darcy
    • Teresa Denys
    • Cassie Edwards
    • Penny Jordan (aka Caroline Courtney)
    • Charlotte Lamb (aka Shelia Holland)
    • Miranda Lee
    • Johanna Lindsey
    • Debbie Macomber
    • Anne Mather
    • Laurie McBain: Pioneer of Historical Romance in the 70s
    • Fern Michaels
    • Natasha Peters
    • Rosemary Rogers
    • Valerie Sherwood
    • Bertrice Small
    • Janelle Taylor
    • Jennifer Wilde
    • Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
  • Covers & Artists
    • Covers of the Week
    • Romance Cover Artists
      • Francesco Accornero (Franco)
      • Renato Aime
      • George (G. A.) Bush
      • Pino Daeni
      • Elaine Duillo
      • Melissa Duillo-Gallo
      • Harry Bennett
      • John Ennis
      • Victor Gadino
      • Charles Gehm
      • Elaine Gignilliat
      • Max Ginsburg
      • Gregg Gulbronson
      • H. Tom Hall
      • Frank Kalan
      • Roger Kastel
      • Raymond Kursar
      • Robert McGinnis
      • Gary McLaughlin
      • Tony Meers
      • Robert Sabin
      • Diane Sivavec
      • Sharon Spiak
      • Ed Tadiello
  • Links and Fun Stuff
    • Podcasts
    • Blogs, Sites, Podcasts, & More Links
    • Fun or Interesting Book Links
    • Cover Links
  • Male Cover Models
    • Romance Cover Model: Rob Ashton
    • Romance Cover Model: Tracy James, A Heartthrob Then & Now
    • Romance Cover Model: Fabio Lanzoni
    • Romance Cover Model: Michael O’Hearn
  • Publishers
    • Avon
    • Bantam Books
    • Fawcett Books
    • Dorchester
    • Harlequin Historicals
    • Mills and Boon
    • Pinnacle Books
    • Playboy Press
    • Pocket Books
    • Warner Books
    • Zebra
  • About
    • Affiliate Disclosure and Review Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Licensing and Fair Use Page
    • Privacy Policy
    • Subscribe to Sweet Savage Flame
Menu

plantation

Passion's Pleasure by Valerie Giscard popp (2)

Historical Romance Review: Passion’s Pleasure by Valerie Giscard

Posted on January 15, 2024January 16, 2024 by Blue Falcon

Passion’s Pleasure by Valerie Giscard is a 1982 historical romance novel featuring a turbulent love story, marked by violence and dramatic twists, set in Paris and Louisiana. 1 Star

jo goodman violet fire ga bush

Historical Romance Review: Violet Fire by Jo Goodman

Posted on October 18, 2023October 30, 2023 by IntrovertReader

Violet Fire by Jo Goodman has got a gorgeous cover. It’s a Zebra masterpiece with purple and orange hues. Alas, this historical romance fails to live up to the G. A. Bush artwork. 2 Stars

captive innocence fern michaels

Historical Romance Review: Captive Innocence by Fern Michaels

Posted on July 26, 2023August 7, 2023 by IntrovertReader

Captive Innocence is a fairly unexciting Fern Michaels historical from 1981. This romance shares no association with Michael’s far more entertaining “Captive” series. 2 stars

murmur of rain

Historical Romance Review: Murmur of Rain by Patricia Vaughn

Posted on February 15, 2023July 1, 2024 by IntrovertReader

Books like A Murmur of Rain by Patricia Vaughan are why I adore the romance genre. This 1996 novel published by Pocket Books caught me by surprise with its exquisite storytelling. I was entranced from the very beginning. 5 Stars

passion flower walter popp

Historical Romance Review: Passion Flower by Jennifer Horsman

Posted on December 12, 2022November 28, 2023 by Blue Falcon

This review is of Passion Flower by Jennifer Horsman, a 1983 Zebra historical romance set during the colonial era in Jamaica and Virginia.

pasion's slave mcmahon popp

Historical Romance Review: Passion’s Slave by Kay McMahon

Posted on September 12, 2022November 28, 2023 by Blue Falcon

I really want to like Kay McMahon’s books, mainly because I like her female characters. However, there is one thing I cannot and will not accept about books–regardless of when they are written. That is when the “hero” of the book rapes the heroine. Such is the case with Passion’s Slave by Kay McMahon. 1 star

pino romance

Historical Romance Review: Passion’s Chains by Catherine Creel

Posted on June 10, 2022November 11, 2022 by IntrovertReader

Passion’s Chains was the first romance novel I read after subscribing to the Lovegram line many, many years ago. The plot description on the back of the book sounded like this would be a riot. And it was! 4.5 stars

shanna

Historical Romance Review: Shanna by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

Posted on May 7, 2022February 27, 2023 by IntrovertReader

In 1977 Kathleen E. Woodiwiss’ long-awaited third novel made romance history. I’ve had a tenuous relationship with Woodiwiss’ romances, but I am glad I read Shanna. 3.74 stars

captive angel pino

Historical Romance Review: Captive Angel by Deana James

Posted on February 24, 2022January 15, 2023 by IntrovertReader

Deana James’ romance Captive Angel was an emotional, turbulent Zebra Lovegram romance with a heroine who was forged in fire and a hero not worthy to lick her boots. One of the best non-romance romances 5 stars

through-the-storm

Historical Romance Review: Through the Storm by Beverly Jenkins

Posted on December 25, 2021April 19, 2023 by IntrovertReader

Beverly Jenkins’ Through the Storm is a romance about a former slave finding love during the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era with a man from a proud and established Louisiana family of Haitian descent. 3 stars

Categories

  • Book Review (419)
  • Historical Romance (278)
  • Historical Romance Review (263)
  • Discussion (198)
  • Contemporary Romance (145)

LATEST POSTS

Covers of the Week #155: Regency Easter by Zebra Books
Historical Romance Review: Bandit’s Embrace by Georgina Gentry
Covers of the Week #131: Steve Holland
Historical Romance Review: Comanche Cowboy by Georgina Gentry
Romance Round-Up: Our January Book Haul 
Covers of the Week #130: Aleta Jenks-Rafton
Romance Review: Savage Desire by Constance O’Banyon
Historical Romance Review: The Forever Tree by Rosanne Bittner
Historical Romance Review: Passion’s Pleasure by Valerie Giscard
Covers of the Week #129: Alan Ayers

Sweet Savage Flame participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which means that we may earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, as per FTC guidelines.

TOP POSTS

  • 15 Old School Historical Romances That Revolutionized the Genre
  • Romance Cover Model: Fabio Lanzoni
  • Most Expensive and Hard to Find or Out-of-Print Romances
  • Romance Cover Model: Rob Ashton
  • The Hero Kidnaps the Heroine: List of 100+ Bodice Ripper Romances with this Plot
  • Historical Romance Review: Raven by Shana Carrol
  • Stepback Covers Are Back & Why We Love Them
  • Hispanic Heroines in Old-School Historical Romances
  • Historical Romance Review: Shanna by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
  • Historical Romance Review: The Lion's Lady by Julie Garwood

TOP PAGES

  • Old School Romance From Avon to Zebra
  • Romance Cover Artists
  • Author Pseudonyms
  • Search Romances by Tropes
  • Book Covers
  • Elaine Duillo
  • Robert McGinnis
  • Pino Daeni
  • Past Romance Covers of the Week
  • H. Tom Hall

Creative Commons License

All original Sweet Savage Flame work by Sweet Savage Flame contributors is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Sweet Savage Flame participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which means that we may earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, as per FTC guidelines.

Sweet Savage Flame | 2025 | Some Rights Reserved

SEARCH

Categories

1-star rating 2.5-star rating 3-star rating 3.5-star rating 4-star rating 4.5-star rating 5-star rating arranged forced or m-o-c book blog books captor and captive Category romance cheating Cover art Covers england forced seduction heroine married to other man hero nobleman historical romance kidnapping love triangle medieval romance Native American Native American Romance older man younger woman old school romance rape rape in romance retro romance revenge review reviewblog romance blog romance books Romance covers romance novels secret identity series Texas trope adultery western Western romance Zebra Zebra romance