As some of you may know,I tend to talk about the books that I find at my local bi-yearly church rummage sale and this past weekend lead me to a couple of interesting finds. When I walked over to the books for sale,my immediate response was to snatch up the lone Georgette Heyer gem on the table.
The Spanish Bride is categorized as a Regency Romance on this 1984 Signet cover,but it is actually one of Heyer's historical fiction titles.
Based on the real life couple Sir Harry and Lady Juana Smith(who became the namesake of a township in South Africa),this novel chronicles their first meeting and romance during the Napoleonic Wars. The Spanish Bride is part of a series of books that Heyer wrote about this time period,which also includes An Infamous Army(another book that I have to get to)and a rather sweet addition to my growing Heyer library:
Another impulsive purchase was Rosemary Rogers' Wicked Loving Lies and I must confess,it was partly due to the bright purple color that coated the cover. The author's name was somewhat familiar to me but after a little more internet research,my memory was fully refreshed.
Rogers was one of the mainstays of what romance readers call the "Old Skool" style of writing in this genre back in the 1970s and 80s. She,along with gals like Kathleen Woodiwiss,wrote historical romances that were more open about sex but also indulged in very non-P.C. character interactions,for which the polite term would be "forced seduction".
Regardless,I do plan to give this book a try. After all,how can you appreciate the advances and advantages of the present if you don't take a look back every once in a while at the setbacks of the past? The term bodice ripper may sound quaint and harmless but appearances can be deceiving,no matter how pretty the picture:
What I do know of Old Skool romance as well the New comes from checking the ultimate in romance novel coverage,Smart Bitches,Trashy Books and one of it's founders has a brand new book on this subject.
Everything I Know About Love,I Learned from Romance Novels is Sarah Wendell's take on how to apply the positive messages gleamed from her favorite literary genre to your actual love life. With input from several best selling authors and readers,EIKAL is a light and lively approach that educates as well as charms.
I treated myself to a copy and plan to place it next to Beyond Heaving Bosoms,an earlier Smart Bitches look at love between the pages,once I'm finished. I'm not rushing through it,of course-taking your time is highly recommended in this field,so they say:
Tackling these romance titles might be best to hold off on until after New Year's. With the long winter months yet to be upon us,these might be more satisfying reads to warm my shivering spirits up to.
Besides,I also have an Eloisa James book that I picked up at the last rummage sale and Desperate Duchesses might make for a nifty compare and contrast with Wicked Loving Lies(Rosemary Rogers really liked those cheesy titles;her biggest seller was Sweet Savage Love).
I'll try not to wait too long,since hesitation can be a major buzz killer. Some choices in this world need to made decisively or you'll wind up being a permanent lady in waiting,with no one to take you up on any offer of love,fictional or otherwise:
No comments:
Post a Comment