Bodice Ripper – The Smut Report

Birmingham, Book #1

Heat Factor: “His warmth and passion” is “led on to his nest.”

Character Chemistry: Is it abuse or is it love? Hard to tell.

Plot: Brandon rapes Heather. They are forced to get married. And then Brandon takes Heather to South Carolina, where shenanigans occur and also they somehow decide they’re in love.

Overall: It’s all totally yikes or totally infuriating and sometimes both!

Please note: This book includes rape, abuse, chattel slavery, and ableism (among other things), which we discuss in this review.

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Rant, Review

Review: The Billionaire Needs a Bodyguard by Ravina Hilliard (2020)

July 29, 2020July 30, 2021 Holly

Heat Factor: Spicy enough

Character Chemistry: He berates her and does angry seduction and she melts under his caresses, so you know I am ALL about it

Plot: She’s his bodyguard, but he thinks she’s an escort/con artist

Overall: Once I started pretending this book was published in 1980, my enjoyment increased dramatically

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Review

Review: The Gift by Julie Garwood (1991)

February 13, 2020July 15, 2020 Holly

Crown’s Spies, Book 3

Heat Factor: Initial consent is dubious at best, but after that both parties are all about it, and so am I.

Character Chemistry: That thing where a super alpha submits to a naive, innocent, young woman.

Plot: They were married as children. He kidnaps her to get some land. She convinces him that he loves her. And destroys his scary pirate ship with a parasol. In other words: Completely Bonkers.

Overall: If you are Bodice Ripper Curious, The Gift is not a bad place to start.

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