Unwrapping - In Memory of Johanna Lindsey

Johanna Lindsey
March 10, 1952 - October 27, 2019

My first introduction to the world of romance novels was in my teens with The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss but it was the talent and storytelling skill of Johanna Lindsey that kept me coming back for more. I read her debut novel, Captive Bride, in 1977 while in college and was hooked. It was her ability to take me to other times, allow me to step into the shoes of the heroine, and fall in love with the hero that kept me captivated and her, my go-to author, my favorite romance author for a very long time.

Sadly, the romance community has lost one of the brightest stars of our world. Johanna Lindsey passed away on October 27, 2019 after battling cancer. The family, devastated as all of us can only imagine, has only now released this information. My heart is broken for she was still so young and I have no doubt had many more stories to tell.

She was my inspiration to write romance. I am a huge reader of many genres—mysteries, thrillers, horror, science fiction, and historical fiction—but Ms. Lindsey was my favorite author of romance then and pretty much even now. Oh, I enjoy so many and if asked, I could never name one particular romance novel as my favorite even among Ms. Lindsey’s—although, I do have a particular penchant for rereading Gentle Rogue and Warrior’s Woman so many times my original copies are well worn. But she was still the author I searched many a bookstore and airport shop for something new by her to read while traveling or vacationing. While reading her books, I could probably ignore any situation or commotion around me.

I hope if you have never read anything by the talented and exceptional Johanna Lindsey that you will seek a copy of any one of her wonderful tales. She is a talent not to be missed, although we shall forever miss her. Her many books will forever grace shelves and thrill readers as her legacy.

Dear Ms. Lindsey, we shall miss you but always read you. 💔

Do you have a favorite romance by Johanna Lindsey?

Wishing everyone a Happy and Peaceful Holidays and only the best coming to you in the New Year.

NY Times announcement of her passing.

Unwrapping My Thoughts on FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, the Movie & BDSM in Romance Novels

With all of the excitement building over the upcoming release of the movie version of FIFTY SHADES OF GREY by E.L. James, I got to thinking about the way BDSM (Bondage-Dominance-Submission-Masochism) is portrayed in romance novels today. I am not a fan of the FSofG series and do not expect to see the movie unless I hear some very good things about it – namely that it’s better than the book, but since a movie version of a book is so rarely better than the original, I doubt it will happen.

Have you seen the trailer? Some think it's really sexy, racy, or whatever. I think it's about as exciting as the book. Not.

There are many romance authors today who portray BDSM from mild to extreme so much more erotically, and genuinely that it got me thinking back to some older romance novels which were never labeled as BDSM but actually can be added to the list. One in particular is WARRIOR’S WOMAN by Johanna Lindsay.

Now, before fans of Johanna Lindsay jump on me and proclaim, NO WAY!, if you’ve read this particular book and its series, think about some of the sex portrayed. I loved this trilogy of sci-fi romance created by Johanna and wish she’d revisit this type of romance again.

In the year 2139, fearless Tedra De Arr sets out to rescue her beleaguered planet Kystran from the savage rule of the evil Crad Ce Moerr.

Experienced in combat but not in love, the beautiful, untouched Amazon flies with Martha, her wise-cracking, free-thinking computer, to a world where warriors reigns supreme - and into the arms of the one man she can never hope to vanquish: the bronzed barbarian Challen Ly-San-Ter.

A magnificent creature of raw yet disciplined desires, the muscle-bound primitive succeeds where no puny Kystran male had before - igniting a raging fire within Tedra that must be extinguished before she can even think of saving her enslaved world...

Many erotic romance novels today have a dominant male paired with a confident yet submissive female where mild to extreme BDSM is introduced between the couple but WARRIOR’S WOMAN was first released in 1990 by Avon Romance and for the time, it pushed the envelope further than most romance novels had ever gone before. There was a cultural traditionalism behind the behavior on the part of the hero, Challen, and the heroine, Tedra, was a self-sufficient, tough, warrior who challenged her hero every step of the way. Her refusal to submit to his dominant behavior resulted in a few punishment scenes, one of which even included an explicitly non-painful spanking scene, which left her hero with a very bad taste in his mouth. His punishment amounted to bringing her as close to orgasm as possible without allowing her the satisfaction desired by her. When she told him if he wanted to truly punish her, he should do it properly with a spanking. His means of punishment was never about pain but simply a means to make her understand he was in control of her, and her pleasure. 

Well, as women, we may not agree with that because we all know we are responsible for our own pleasure and it’s our willingness to share it with our men, which enhances it and makes our men feel triumphant. But along the lines of BDSM, Challen believed himself in charge, dominant if you will, but in truth, we know it was Tedra who led his heart and so led his desire to please her and keep her from pain.

So with this in mind, I’m drawn back to FIFTY SHADES OF GREY and its manner of pushing the envelope toward humiliation, Christian’s need to crush Ana, her heart, and make her feel as low as he feels. These are things which turned me off about this series. I’m all for reading erotic romance with BDSM themes, even when they don’t particularly make me comfortable. Voyeurism themes tend to make me uncomfortable but not necessarily because of the theme but it’s the idea of a man who loves his woman and yet still feels it’s okay for other men to watch her pleasure that turns me away. I believe there’s play and then there’s respect. Love needs respect to survive, just as it needs respect to exist in the first place.

True, in any games of BDSM, there is a level of mutual acceptance and the dynamic is supposed to be one of consensual play but again, I don’t feel that in FSofG the way I feel it in other erotic romance with BDSM elements. So my question to you is the same one I would ask a partner in real life, how far is too far when introducing elements of bondage, dominance, submission, and masochism into a romantic relationship?

Also, will you be seeing the movie? 

Feel free to comment, rant, blast me, or agree - I want to know your thoughts. Happy Reading Everyone! 

Unwrapping: Review of MY RUTHLESS PRINCE by Gaelen Foley

First- Thank you to everyone who participated in my little experiment - those who commented admitted that they were not able to accurately choose 'old' from 'new' which proves that maybe Historical Romances haven't changed as much as we thought they had - thank goodness - reading would be very boring if every heroine was a female Dirty Harry and every hero a Gentleman George! The winner of a copy of GENTLE ROGUE by Johanna Lindsey is ... Dalila G.   Congratulations!

Now on to the main event!
This weekend, I inhaled the historical romance novel, MY RUTHLESS PRINCE by Gaelen Foley ... I mean inhaled! I started reading it and didn't want to put it down and almost didn't even when I had to.
                                                      *                       *                     *
In MY RUTHLESS PRINCE, the Earl of Westwood is suspected by his brother warriors of having turned traitor, but Emily Harper knows this is impossible for the man she has loved since childhood—as impossible as a marriage between them could ever be—she, the gamekeeper’s daughter and he, a bold and adventurous nobleman.

Driven by hatred and revenge, Westwood is playing a deadly game of deception, bent on destroying the enemy’s dark conspiracy from the inside, and he’s furious when Emily plunges herself into danger for his sake. Forced into close quarters, their long-suppressed desire explodes into all-consuming passion.

Emily knows her love can save him…but Drake is a man who doesn’t want to be saved.
                                                        *                        *                    *
I am a huge fan of the Inferno Club and definitely recommend that if you haven't read the first three installments in the series then do and in order, but MY RUTHLESS PRINCE does well enough as a stand-alone, if you choose to read it as such.

Drake Parry, the Earl of Westwood, is by far the most 'tortured' hero I've ever read. He's tortured not only in body but in heart and spirit, too. Having endured horrible physical torture at the hands of his enemies, Drake feels beholden to one of them, James Falkirk, for saving him. So much so that he escapes his Inferno Club brothers who, along with his childhood friend, Emily Harper, are trying help him recover from his ordeal and mend his mind, body and soul. But Drake's misplaced need to protect the old man, Falkirk, is as great as for any of his brother warriors so he escapes to Bavaria and into the hands of those who tortured him, left him a broken man and took nearly all his memory, all but that of Emily. 

Unable to let him be lost to his enemies or hunted down and possibly killed by his own who now think him a traitor, Emily goes after him. She is convinced that she, and she alone, can reach him through his heart; that only she can reach the Drake that she knows and loves and bring him home safely. But Drake has changed and even though she knows the man well, she sees in him a darkness, a willingness to do whatever is asked of him by those who would do him, and her, the most harm. Her own belief in Drake is put to the test and it's only her love for him that keeps her from believing the worst. While Emily works from the inside, the rest of the Inferno Club works dangerously on the outside even as the same questions plague them all. Has Drake truly joined the Prometheans and turned to the darkness to fight against everything he has known and honored since being chosen as a young lad to be raised by the Order? Or will he prove to be their worst enemy?

Stepback - My Ruthless Prince
missed out on this
on my ereader  : (

From the minute you open this book, you're caught up in the struggle to bring Drake home and the mysteries of the Prometheans. The story is fast-paced and filled with action that keeps you on your toes. Gaelen wastes no time with a blossoming romance between Drake and Emily because their relationship has been in place since childhood. Emily has always known that she loves Drake even though their respective stations in life have kept them apart. Instead of watching the pair fall in love, it becomes more about them admitting to the love that's always been there between them. Even while suffering essentially 'Stockholm Syndrome', Drake is torn between his misguided loyalty to James and his need to protect Emily at all costs. It's no wonder poor Drake doesn't seem to know if he's coming or going. I suspect he's going to be out of sorts for quite a while so it's a good thing Emily loves him so and is more patient than most women would be. Possibly even a bit too patient, she might have done well with giving him a good quick kick in the pants.

Speaking of kick in the pants! Gaelen gives us plenty of intrigue, subterfuge and some intense action scenes that will have you on the edge of your seat and holding your breath such as when Emily is put in the precarious position of using her expert archery skills to fulfill a promise and destroy her reason for living. I have to say that it took a lot of courage on Gaelen's part to place her heroine in one of the cruelest, most heart-wrenching moments I've ever read but it worked. I'm not going to spoil your reading by telling you what happens but be prepared to hold your breath and wipe away a lot of tears.

MY RUTHLESS PRINCE is everything you expect from a Gaelen Foley historical romance and more.
Until now MY DANGEROUS DUKE has been my favorite of the Inferno Club. Even though Rohan is still the man I'd like to have come home with me, I have to say that I would easily trade places with Emily to help Drake find his way back to the life he knew and the laughter, camaraderie and brotherhood he shared with his brother warriors.  MY RUTHLESS PRINCE has definitely become my favorite of the series.

If you're looking for action, intrigue and subterfuge, edge-of-the-seat suspense and some very romantic love scenes then MY RUTHLESS PRINCE by Gaelen Foley is the one you want to read.  Published by Avon, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers and ON SALE NOW in paperback and ebook format, I Highly Recommend MY RUTHLESS PRINCE. 
In fact, my only question now is ... when are they making it into a movie??!!  

You can learn more about Gaelen Foley, her life, and her books by visiting her website or by reading about her when she visited us here at the blog on 12/28/11 - click here to read my interview with her.

Happy Reading Everyone!

                                                                  

                                                     

Unwrapping: Let's Try this Again - Same Test + Giveaway!

Captive of My Desires
by Johanna Lindsey - 2006

Giveaway is Closed. 

Test Your Ability to Recognize Old Romance

from New with an incentive:

On Wednesday's post, I had a lot of folks view the test, I assume try their luck at it, and then for whatever reason choose not to comment on it. The point I was attempting to make with this exercise was whether ot not it was possible to recognize 'old' Historical Romance from 'new' Historical Romance from part of a 'love scene'. I need more input, everybody!

I do want to give a special shoutout to the husband of ROMANCEAHOLIC who without any experience in the genre proved what I had expected - he got two of the scenes wrong, one of which I hoped folks would mistake for 'old' - thank you for playing along and because of your dear wife's honesty, I'm including her in the Giveaway, whether she comments on this one or not.  In fact, anyone who commented on Wednesday's post is welcome to comment here for an entry in the giveaway ... several were truthful or explained how they knew which were which but some I suspect fudged a little. Won't judge you if you own up to missing one.  It's all in fun, no right or wrong results.   : )

About the Giveaway: 


1990 Edition

Same test, same answers, same rules, nothing's changed, no tricks, only this time to encourage those who were afraid to admit that they could not pick 'old' from 'new' (only reason I can assume you didn't brag) - I'm giving away a copy of GENTLE ROGUE by Johanna Lindsey - 1990 edition to one lucky commenter.  Winner will be chosen from comments on this post only with the exception of the above mentioned who gets an extra entry if she comments here.

To enter this giveaway all you need do is take the test or say you took the test on the previous post, say whether you found it easy to recognize 'old' from 'new' or not so plus a valid email address and you're entered. Btw - a simple correct or missed will do - if you tell me correct, then please add why it was so easy. Be sure to leave a valid email address in the comment or I can't qualify you for the giveaway. This giveaway is open to EVERYONE!!

This is my favorite of the Malory Series.
Quick blurb for GENTLE ROGUE:

Heartsick and desperate to return home to America, Georgina Anderson boards the Maiden Anne disguised as a cabin boy, never dreaming she'll be forced into intimate servitude at the whim of the ship's irrepressible captain, James Mallory.

The black sheep of a proud and tempestuous family, the handsome ex-pirate once swore no woman alive could entice him into matrimony. But on the high seas his resolve will be weakened by an unrestrained passion and by the high-spirited beauty whose love of
freedom and adventure rivals his own.

THE TEST

I will list part of a scene from a Historical Romance without any other information given, I want you to tell me if the Romance was written pre- 2000 or post- 2000. Simple, huh? Answers can be found at a link at the end of this post. These might surprise you - some of you might recognize the lines but have fun anyway.

Game on!

Scene #1 - "A chore, like any other? Very well, she told herself. Just get it done.

She dropped her gaze to the bed, loath to watch him while she explained the horrid facts to him. "I must have a child, and it must be conceived immediately. You were chosen to aid me because your hair and eyes are the same as my husband's, for the child needs have the look of him. So we must copulate this night, and the next, and the next, until your seed bears fruit. I like this no better than you, but I have no choice - and neither do you."

His chains rattled, but she would not look toward those expressive eyes of his. Briskly, she took hold of the thick sheet covering him and flipped it to the end of the bed, where it slithered to the floor."

Scene #2 - "Deliberately, [she] leaned forward until her breasts rested on his chest; and seizing upon all her imagination, she lowered parted lips and moved them slowly, warmly upon his. Her eyes flew wide as his mouth opened and twisted across hers, his tongue thrusting through as his arms went around her, crushing her in his embrace. Her world careened crazily as he slowly turned until she half lay across his lap, her head pressed back against his shoulder. ... She should have found his blistering kiss repulsive, but in truth it was wildly exciting."

Scene #3 - "[She] was so startled by the invasion she went completely still, her mind filling with confusion as the combination of the caresses and the kiss filled her with a sharp excitement that was almost overwhelming. She remained still and uncertain as his mouth explored hers, her hands balling into fists by her waist as he ... excuse the interruption - too racy for this blog ..., and the excitement spiked to a level that raised fear in her had her grabbing at the hand to stop him.

[He] immediately stopped his caress, but he also broke their kiss to lift his head.
'I am your husband.'
He whispered the words against her lips and she stilled again, uncertainty flowing through her. He was her husband and had every right to do whatever he chose, ..."

Scene #4 - "She stood there proud and unashamed to have him see her thus, with no attempt to cover herself in any way, and he looked long and hard, feasting on the reality of what he had only been able to imagine previously. She was so very beautiful to him, so perfectly formed for all her height.
[He] was unaware that he had walked to her, but he stood next to her now, the velvet gown forgotten, dropping from his fingers to the floor. Everything was forgotten as his hands rose to cup her cheeks, and he lowered his head to taste the nectar of her lips. Slowly, he tasted, gently at first to savor, then with the full measure of his need.
In those first moments, he was so consumed with desire that he would not have noticed if [she] resisted. But she was not resisting in any way. ... she was kissing him back with an unrestrained abandon."

Okay, the rest is up to you ... which of these four scenes were written pre-2000 and which were written post-2000?

Click here for the answers!   Please be honest and don't cheat - I'm trying to demonstrate that without knowing the novel, it's difficult to see the difference in the timeline of writing style. Thanks for playing!

Remember to be entered in the Giveaway, you MUST comment and you MUST leave a valid email address!  Giveaway runs till 11:59 PM EST Saturday, January 14, 2012. That's only 2 days to enter!  Winner will be chosen at random and announced on Monday's post.  Thanks and Good Luck!  : )

Happy Reading Everyone!      
                  Giveaway is Closed. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Unwrapping: LAST lines in Romance!

Well, it's December and that means Christmas is nearly upon us. I love everything about Christmas, the music, the lights, the trees, the decorations, and even crabby people because it gives me the chance to get in the last line ... Merry Christmas! No, I don't use Happy Holidays unless I really have to and then only because I have to. But when you see someone crabbing along and you smile at them but you still get a frown, a Merry Christmas usually takes them by surprise and you are able to say you had the best and greatest last line of that quick conversation.  Right?

I've been a part of many a discussion both in real and virtual life about the greatest first lines of books and it's always fun but what about the greatest last lines?

When it comes to romance, or any other genre for that matter but for our purposes - romance ... well, when it comes to a really great read, I usually don't want it to end so that last line is important to me. It may leave me content because the story culminated in a truly happily ever after, or it leaves me with a tear in my eye because it was sweet, sappy and written with lots of love for the characters or best of all, it leaves me wondering if there will be a sequel.  I'm reminded of Billy Crystal's character in Nora Ephron's WHEN HARRY MET SALLY who said he always read the last chapter first in case something happened to him before he finished the book, he'd already know how it ended.

When I think of great last lines, they've got to equal some of the great memorialized last lines like ... GONE WITH THE WIND
"Tomorrow, I’ll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day." –Margaret Mitchell,

Romance novels tend to end with a kiss or some proclamation of love or best of all, a giggle from the reader like the last line of Kerrelyn Sparks' THE SEXIEST VAMPIRE ALIVE ...

"He chuckled. 'I'll lock the door.'"

My favorite Jane Austen last line is from EMMA:

"But, in spite of these deficiencies, the wishes, the hopes, the confidence, the predictions of the small band of true friends who witnessed the ceremony, were fully answered in the perfect happiness of the union." 

You just have to smile at that one. 

Another last line that leaves me with a chuckle and a grin is "There's no fool like an old fool, and I'm one of the oldest, after all."  Terri Garey, DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE

 For an awwww moment, I have to look to Johanna Lindsey. Even though THAT PERFECT SOMEONE wasn't one of her best works, the last line made it worth it ...

"With her loving him so much, whatever made him happy would always make her happy, too. It could be no other way."  

See what I mean .... awwww!

So ... what's your favorite last line of a romance novel?

Happy Reading Everyone and take notice of that last line!

            

Unwrapping: Veterans Day - Thank You!

To all the Veterans and their families - thank you so very much for your service, your sacrifices and your outstanding loyalty to the Red, White and Blue!

As the daughter of a Veteran, I have a deep appreciation for all that our military do so that we may reserve our freedom and the rights provided us by our government. I'm glad a day is set aside to pay tribute to all of the Veterans of this proud country but personally, I believe every day should be Veterans Day. So the next time you see an active duty military personnel or an older person wearing any kind of military insignia, please do something nice for them like hold a door open, let them step in front of you in line or just smile and say 'thank you' ... it will be so greatly appreciated.

As Romance readers, we love our heroes in or out of uniform ... partial to a military man out of uniform, if you know what I mean.  Romance Novels abound with heroes and although Regency centers around English heroes, Americans have their share of historical heroes beginning with those that fought for our freedom from the Brits in the first place.  Our proud country has a long history of men and women willing to sacrifice everything for our freedom beginning with the first Marines, the Minutemen and the civilian colonists that took up arms against the British tyranny suffocating our society, economy and right to free speech. The uniforms may have changed over the past two hundred and thirty-six years but the cry for freedom and the willingness to defend it hasn't changed one bit. Our United States Marine Corps is celebrating its birthday this month, actually yesterday (November 10) and next year we will celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of the start of the War of 1812.  A war that our young country fought to preserve the freedom that had just been won less than 35 years earlier. We lost 2,260 American soldiers, marines and sailors both on land and on the ocean fighting a war against Great Britain and their North American colonists - our neighbors to the north, the Canadians - but we persevered and maintained an unbreakable hold on our freedom that still thrives today.  That's a very long history, my friends.  By the way - Happy Birthday Marines, semper fi.

I love Regency Romance but I have often wondered why it is that we only focus on the British scene for our romance stories. Why don't we have more stories of the era involving Americans both as heroes and heroines? One author, who is one of my personal favorites, has been for years creating stories that do blend the societies and it makes for some very enjoyable reading. The author - Johanna Lindsey, the series - the Malory Novels ... we have heroes and heroines from both sides of the pond meeting, falling in love, fighting each other and others who get in their way. The Malory-Anderson family is a mixed bag of ladies and gentlemen who bring the best of two worlds together and give honor to the steadfast loyalty that each side of the family, whether Malory or Anderson, have for their kin and their countries.  Since this is more a tribute to our American Veterans and a thank you for their sacrifices, I'm not going to discuss literature more than just that at this time. If you're interested in Ms. Lindsey's Malory series or any of her other works, please feel free to visit her publishers website. I will include a list of her Malory novels at the end of this post.

In the meantime, may all our brave Veterans, including my father who is a Veteran of both WWII and Korea, have a good day every day and may your families be proud for you are each our greatest heroes and shall always be remembered for all that you have allowed us to take for granted. Our greatest thanks and gratitude this day and always.

Happy Veterans Day and Happy Reading Everyone!