Photo of a kiss

Historical Romance 

Those Questionable Bodice Ripping Scenes

I am a great fan of "bodice-rippers."  Before the bully romance, before alpha-hole or dark romance ever existed, there was the bodice-ripper, and I read every one of them I could get my hands on between the age of 16 and 30.  Most of them well written, with incredible historical details and sweeping, vibrant prose.

I read a recent review from a prolific reader on Good-Reads and I got permission to share it here:

Jewels Review (Link to original)


When I first read Whitney, My Love, I deeply loved it... and I also gave it one star. I wrote a scathing review about how horrible I found it, and I felt pretty self righteous and moral about how I put down this book for it's romance (which is basically a capture fantasy with a bit of non consent).

At that point in my life, I was terribly ashamed that I loved dark romance and bodice rippers, of which Whitney, My Love is both. I thought for a long time that reading this type of romance (where the main love interest is a villain) made me less of a woman. 

Why couldn't I like the gentleman heroes? Why didn't I prefer goodhearted, dashing, and courteous male leads in my romance? I tried earnestly to renounce these parts of myself, because I thought to do any less than that made me a bad feminist. 

As I've grown up, I've realized that your reading fantasies have nothing to do with real life. You are under no obligation to moralize them or explanation them to anyone. In fact, reading dark romance has nothing to do with your real life morality at all. 

And to shame any woman for her dark taste in romance and her kinky sexuality is the exact opposite of what feminism is supposed to be about. Shaming yourself or shaming other women for the things that appeal to you when you read is not empowering. It's wrong. It's wrong and I'm no longer going to do that to myself. 

I think the most interesting thing about dark romance is the ability of the author to convince you that the love between the two main characters in the book exists despite the darkness. That takes skill. It's not hard to empathize and love good people in a romance, but in a dark romance it is the one thing the author must inspire in you, or she has failed. 

I was thoroughly convinced of Whitney and Clayton's love by the end of this book, fraught with angst and fury and misunderstandings and need though it may be. Judith Mcnaught not only convinced me, she made me unable to forget about these characters, despite the scorn I felt for myself for adoring them. 

Bottom line? Never feel guilty about what you like to read. I tried that, and it sucked. 

(I feel I should mention that I read the orginal non PC version of this book. It was rereleased t o be more palatable, and I think that's a shame. The dark version has the heart and soul of the characters, and it's the far superior version of the book)



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For me, it is a whole 'nother debate if  "trashy romance is healthy"  or if it is "permissible."  I'm not gonna argue if it is healthy, but my oh my, it is definitely permissible.  No one should shame anyone for their reading choices.  You like what you like.  

And I'm okay with that. 

Happy Reading,

Isoellen