Bodice Ripper Readers Anonymous discussion

I've been trying to make a new shelf specifically for gothic bodice rippers. I've only knowledge of a small handful, ranging from Teresa Denys & Marilyn Harris. Anyone have any others they'd like to add? :)

Saving space for the list:

The Silver Devil & The Flesh and the Devil by Teresa Denys
This Other Eden by Marilyn Harris
The Demon Lover by Victoria Holt
Wild Cat by Laura Black
Lily by Patricia Gaffney
Upon a Moon-Dark Moor & sequel Across A Starlit Sea by Rebecca Brandewyne
The Coach to Hell & Satan's Mistress by Rachel Cosgrove Payes* We suspect more.
Eternal Desire by Clarissa Ross
Kashmiri Passions by Clarissa Ross
Camberleigh by Evelyn Grey
Secrets to Keep by Sheila Holland
Blackmaddie by Jean Innes

Lily, Patricia Gaffney? I am just at the beginning but it seems to qualify.

The description is VERY Gothic, indeed!! :D Thank you so much for bringing it to our attention! I like the sound of it, too.

I will post a review as soon as I'm through. It starts very promising .

This is excellent. I'm so glad you're making a list. I wish I could think of another book to add, but unfortunatly I can't.

Willowfaerie wrote: "This is excellent. I'm so glad you're making a list. I wish I could think of another book to add, but unfortunatly I can't."

I was sitting one day and thought, wow--two of my favorite elements in books; where can I find more?? I'll keep making a list for us. :) Any help, and the help received, is most appreciated. Love ya girls.

Hmmm..contemplating Flaming Tree by Phyllis A. Whitney because of some rather risque material in it. If we're going by the BR content with various indelicacies. >:D

It's been my experience that Gothic books tend to be in first person and bodice rippers tend to be in 3rd person. So maybe that's why you don't see many Gothic bodice rippers.

What criteria must be fulfilled to qualify for this shelf?

Mary wrote: "It's been my experience that Gothic books tend to be in first person and bodice rippers tend to be in 3rd person. So maybe that's why you don't see many Gothic bodice rippers."

Good point, Mary--and I guess that's why I considered Jennifer Wilde's(Tom Huff& his other pseudonyms) to be Gothic, considering he wrote Gothics at one time and his BRs are quite dark. 1st person bodice rippery. -.- And wow, are they rare!

@Nicole, I suppose Gothic premise foremost, then the more unPC qualities, such as: alpha heroes, dubious consent, general situations of WTFery. lol

Mermarie wrote: "Mary wrote: "It's been my experience that Gothic books tend to be in first person and bodice rippers tend to be in 3rd person. So maybe that's why you don't see many Gothic bodice rippers."Good p..."

Mermarie et al: I asked my friend Jennifer Blake about her Gothics and she said they are mystery suspense tales on the order of those by Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart and Daphne du Maurier. She also said while you might find a kiss in them, there is no more than that as they predate the bodice rippers by a few years.

Regan wrote: "Mermarie wrote: "Mary wrote: "It's been my experience that Gothic books tend to be in first person and bodice rippers tend to be in 3rd person. So maybe that's why you don't see many Gothic bodice ..."

Thank you, Regan. That's very helpful and cuts a lot of time out of digging the possible ones up from her collection. I suppose it was unorthodox to muddle all those genres into one! Oh, but what powerful playgrounds they create! :)

I did find another:

Upon a Moon-Dark Moor by Rebecca Brandewyne

It was on the bodice ripper shelf of many of our BRAA girls, and it won a 1987-88 RT Reviewers' Choice Award for Historical Gothic.

Mermarie wrote: "Regan wrote: "Mermarie wrote: "Mary wrote: "It's been my experience that Gothic books tend to be in first person and bodice rippers tend to be in 3rd person. So maybe that's why you don't see many ..."
This is interesting, Mermarie. I have many of Brandewyne's books on my to read shelf but this wasn't one of them. I'll add it!

I was surprised myself, Regan! I love finding lil' treasures like that; it makes hunting for them so worthwhile. :D I just added some by Rachel Cosgrove Payes, too. With titles like Coach to Hell & Satan's Mistress, how could it not be semi-gothic? XD

Maybe someone needs to bring back the old fashioned bodice ripper and add a gothic twist. I'd read that. I like 3rd person better though.

Mary wrote: "Maybe someone needs to bring back the old fashioned bodice ripper and add a gothic twist. I'd read that. I like 3rd person better though."

Someday, even if I'm 70 yrs old, I'll eventually finish one book. It will have BR and gothic elements. >:] Overtime, I've been adding little specific scenes & details to a spreadsheet in Excel.

Mermarie wrote: "Mary wrote: "Maybe someone needs to bring back the old fashioned bodice ripper and add a gothic twist. I'd read that. I like 3rd person better though."

Someday, even if I'm 70 yrs old, I'll even..."

Mary, I will make that suggestion to my friend Jennifer Blake!

Regan wrote: "Mermarie wrote: "Mary wrote: "Maybe someone needs to bring back the old fashioned bodice ripper and add a gothic twist. I'd read that. I like 3rd person better though."

Someday, even if I'm 70 y..."

I will have that one on auto-buy. LOL

For some reason, when those two genres are combined, it ends up as one of my favorites and/or most memorable. They're just so uncommon, aren't they? And what do we women love? Variety! :D

Eternal Desire by Clarissa Ross
Kashmiri Passions by Clarissa Ross

Camberleigh by Evelyn Grey

Thank you, Sarah, for adding to the list. :)

Secrets to Keep by Sheila Holland

Again, the honor goes to Sarah! :D

I've never read gothic. I'd love to try one. Which ones are favorites? ;)

Alena, if you'd like to start out--with your toe in the water, I'd try The Demon Lover by Victoria Holt. I enjoyed it immensely, and a few other girls here did too. If you're geared up for some serious BRery AND Gothic elements, go with The Silver Devil & The Flesh and the Devil by Teresa Denys orThis Other Eden by Marilyn Harris. Less rape-wagony in Marilyn Harris's books, but the wtfery is relentless.

Thanks. I found Silver Devil for free so I guess I will start there!

I finished Silver Devil and it was great. I love heroes that are hard to love and (while i am usually a fan of lots of dialogue) Denys is fantastic at her prose! Thanks so much!

Here's a Gothic bodice ripper for you, and a 5-star one at that: Demon Lover by Victoria Holt. The Demon Lover

It just arrived from amazon. I'll start soon

Alena wrote: "I finished Silver Devil and it was great. I love heroes that are hard to love and (while i am usually a fan of lots of dialogue) Denys is fantastic at her prose! Thanks so much!"

Alena, is this book a bodice ripper? I have it on my to read list for my new best bodice rippers list.

Added:

Blackmaddie by Jean Innes



A surprisingly wicked Gothic Bodice Ripper. Thanks for recommending & the gifty, Sarah!

It's a bodice ripper I think

Alena wrote: "It's a bodice ripper I think"

Silver Devil was listed above as a Gothic Ripper and one of my very first choices, along side The Flesh & the Devil. It's one of Bodice Ripper Readers Anonymous's top recommended for those with an interest in both genres, I believe. It's also listed on our group book shelf, among other mutually accepted "Bodice Ripper" lists.

The asking price for used copies of Teresa Denys' two "Devil" books is very high.

Both of Denys' books are out there on the internet as downloads. Technically piracy, but she's dead and they're out of print, so the only ones benefiting are third-party sellers price gouging the hell out them.

Maybe some day the publishing rights will be picked up by either publisher or family or whoever and they'll be legally available again. But until then, it's the wild west.

I'll try to find the downloads then. The prices being asked for used copies are ridiculous!