Bodice Ripper Readers Anonymous discussion

Start reading anytime in April! :-) Copies are available on Amazon, Paperbackswap, and other OP seller sites.


GoodReads rating: 4.18
GoodReads description:
HER DESIRE WAS HER SHAME
In sultry Charleston, Meredith Whitney was known as the icy Mistress of Bitterleaf. Then she met the regal blue gaze of a golden-haired slave upon the auction block, and with one burning look he branded her as the victim of his desire and revenge.

Tall, sapphire-eyed Jeremy Devlin was no simple servant. He was a nobleman's son betrayed into bondage, unhumbled by the lash, who treated Meredith and every woman as his possession. Again and again, she would be shamed by her own secret desires.

Then they were secret no longer...and as her wildfire passions locked with his, all fears and doubts were swept away in the ecstatic storm of unexpected love...

Discussion Questions: This book has the trope of marriage of convenience. Did you like how it was executed here? Who did you prefer in the pairing, hero or heroine? What was your favorite scene? Favorite character? If you could change one thing about this book what would it be?

Please be considerate of others and use spoiler tags (<*spoiler><*/spoiler> - without the *) when revealing key plot elements.

Ordered!

Darn :( I was really hoping we would read the Gimone Hall one... oh well. I have this one so I will read for sure! But I probably won't start until more towards the middle of the month.

I just ordered mine!

I can't wait till this one arrives...

Got mine today! I probably can't start until next weekend :(

That's OK, Felicia! I'll be starting later as well.

I started BitterLeaf last night and so far I am diggin Jeremy.

I am on page 177 now and the misunderstanding between the H/h continues. Meredith is annoying and I want to like her character more.

On another note, I find myself peeking back at the book cover. I appreciate good bookcover art. I like that Meredith on the cover has a big ass. IMO, it is more realistic. Jeremy, of couse to my delight, is nekkid.

LOL Lorelle, I noticed the big butt too, and I haven't even started reading it yet!

D'oh! I forgot to mention the hand too! Yeah, my eyes were first drawn to the woman's butt, but then the hand started to stick out and it is pretty freakish!

OMG, do NOT click "Next" on that page. I need some brain bleach for that one of Hugh Hefner... O__o

COOL that he did the movie poster for High Road to China! Damn "copyright" watermark, though.

OMG!!!! I was too tempted and I clicked the next button. I am still laughing and now the image is stuck in my head... LOL

LOL! Just got my copy in time to read the comments on the big butt (she has junk in da trunk, that's for sure) and the Morgan Kane website... My oh my...

So I'm about a quarter way through and this is total classic bodice ripper hero time for me. I wish someone would romance me up the way he is Meridith: " first you're all over me like a dockside whore" is my favorite line so far as far as 'yeah, you know how to sweet talk a woman, baby!" I am enjoying Bitterleaf much more than I did last month's read...

I finished BitterLeaf last night. I won't say too much because I want everyone to catch up. But, I will say that I enjoyed Jeremys character and even wished for him to be more Alfa than he was. I just wasn't that fond of Meridith. I kept wondering when her bodice would be ripped off, and it finally did happen...

Dana wrote: "S..." first you're all over me like a dockside whore" is my favorite line so far as far as 'yeah, you know how to sweet talk a woman, baby!"..."

Haha :) I can't wait to read it! I need to hurry up and finish Bitter Passion, Sweet Love so that I can get this one started!!!

I'm thinking I shouldn't have started this one...after 2 Anne Stuart books about heroines "on the shelf", this one is shaping up to be one too many... But I'll keep reading anyway since the hero seems to be interesting at least, even if my image of him is completely unlike the way he's described. LOL

OK I had to look up the cover you were talking about because I guess I got the reprint copy (Published under Candace Camp though it does previously published under Lisa Gregory)---had to read the blurb to make sure I got the right book LOL:

Bitter Leaf

Oh I'm so going to read this book ....off to find a copy.

Darn - cant find it on Kindle...off to search the internet!

I just finished it today and had a hard time really liking it. I thought The Big Misunderstanding was stretched out way too long, and both Meredith and Jeremy didn't see a glance or hear a tone that couldn't be misinterpreted. There was no important topic that they couldn't avoid, even in the heat of an argument. Drove me crazy!

The Big Mis that sucked up half of the book reminded me of Whitney, My Love, although WML had a much more likable heroine IMO. I think fans of WML would probably really like this one.

I like the marriage of convenience trope, but the build-up to when Meredith learns about it was so drawn-out (as was her stepfather's motivation to carry out the scheme). They were supposed to be big dramatic moments, but it was obvious early on just what was afoot so those moments weren't as effective as I felt they should have been.

The gawky, plain spinster trope, though, is definitely not a favorite. I'm finding that out more and more with every book I read! :P

I'm on page 240 of this one... I took a break from reading it for a week, so I'll probably get back to it this week to finish. Here's my current assessment:

I was really looking forward to this one because of the high ratings and awesome cover. I do like the book so far, but it is not what I expected... a little drawn out and dull. I was hoping for more BR-type action. However, I do really like the premise of the book with the hero as the indentured servant.

Finished it and had the same issues as Karla/SmittenKitten... And wouldn't Meredith have cleared up the misunderstanding re: Lydia by actually talking to Lydia? Sigh. It reminded me of a Katherine Woodiwiss plotwise, but without the purple prose. And the villain.... meh.

Oh, reading these comments perhaps I shouldnt be too sad I couldnt track a copy down.

Grace wrote: "Oh, reading these comments perhaps I shouldnt be too sad I couldnt track a copy down."

Grace, I'd be happy to send you my copy if you'd like to read it!

Don't be discouraged, Grace. I'm notoriously hard to please sometimes. :P But I would say that if the device of a Big Misunderstanding motivating the entire plot isn't your thing, then you might want to avoid it or at least read it with that in mind.

I only got about halfway through and quit reading. I just couldn't get into the book but sometimes that happens :( It wasn't bad but honestly I got distracted by a couple of new books that came out. Dang shiny new things LOL I am excited about the May read though.

I was hoping to get back to it but it is now in that pile that may or may not ever get finished. I am sure I will get to it someday :)

I really liked the beginning of this one... and as I mentioned earlier, I thought the concept of the hero being the indentured servant (rather than the girl) was great. But overall, it was a major disappointment. I had to force myself to finish. I gave it 3 stars because I liked the beginning and the hero, but the heroine just got so annoying with the "I'm plain and tall, so no one will ever want me" routine.

It had really high ratings, which I think mislead us all.... but I'm sure that's about to change, lol. :)

SmittenKitten wrote: "I really liked the beginning of this one... and as I mentioned earlier, I thought the concept of the hero being the indentured servant (rather than the girl) was great. But overall, it was a major ..."

I've been finding this good beginning/letdown as it goes on in several bodice rippers. I'm reading a Rosemary Rogers and lord, it just meanders and repeats itself and a major character just died... off screen! Feh!