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What was the VERY first BR that you read and got you hooked? Are you from a time back in the late 70's and went into "shock"(and pleasure)at reading Rosemary Rogers "Sweet Savage Love?" After having only Harlequins on your shelves? Or are you a newer generation discovering for the first time these gems of the past?
Did you sneek that forbidden book off your mothers shelf(wont mention names:D)to find a whole new world of the "unmentionable's inside?
My first BR was
and from there...it just got better & better so many beautiful covers and different settings to hold your nose buried inside. So? what was yours?..and how did it change what you feel about romance books of then..and now?

On a comparison sheet--since I've never read Sweet, Savage, Love--which do you find more rippery...SSL, or Stormfire?

It was 1991, I was 11 years old. My mother went to a second-hand store and brought me . It was my FIRST romance novel, first bodice ripper AND a ZEBRA HEARTFIRE! I'm quite fat n' sassy with satisfaction, over that realization. LOL I think that locked me in real good. Lol I still commiserate with the heroine and hero. ..even if the hero does seemingly jump ontop of tables, gnashing teeth and grunting like a Neanderthal at times. XD She reset his view of women entirely! I LIKES a reformed hero of this magnitude! I read it frequently; it's like a warm, familiar friend. :D

I hope tae gawd it's in my casket with me somewhere. A real copy! Hidden beneath my pillow, like...the entirety of my life. lol

Mermarie wrote: "On a comparison sheet--since I've never read Sweet, Savage, Love--which do you find more rippery...SSL, or Stormfire?

It was 1991, I was 11 years old. My mother went to a second-hand store and bro..."

LOL! Too funny Mermarie...wait you were 11 years old when you first read this? I was reading Nancy Drew books at 11,didnt like boys either. So did you contiune with just "zebra" books or did you branch out to any other authors? I havent had the pleasure yet of getting my hands on Stormfire,when I do III let you know. by Fern Michaels was my intro to pirate romance and has been my favorite read from then on.

and solidified my endless fascination with debauchery and questionable literature. ;) Then afterwards--when I had grown into a young lady, I would stand at the bookstore for hours, scouring the shelves--pouncing upon the backflap descriptions that ensured abduction, 'deep and brooding lord', and revenge of some sort. ;D

Kerrie wrote: "It was that took me over to the dark side at the tender age of 12, sneaking it off the shelf when Mom went to work and frantically putting it back when her car came..."

Nothing like first getting acquainted with romance with Bertrice Small. Talk about jumping into the deep end. :P Most stuff couldn't help but pale in comparison.

Yeah! I glance over most of the well-known bodice ripper authors, 'cause I know you guys got them stacked a mile high in some dark corner. lol I've actually not dug up every notorious BR's books, because it's so well known and associated with. I've been kind of stretching my tentacles into the more rare authors. Some we've forgotten, y'know?!

I had no clue just how many were published until I started collecting. When I started reading romance (1989), it was past the heyday of the BR and on the fast track towards Blandville.

And the family saga epics of the late 70s and 80s have their BR moments of WTFery, too.

Mermarie wrote: "Yeah! I glance over most of the well-known bodice ripper authors, 'cause I know you guys got them stacked a mile high in some dark corner. lol I've actually not dug up every notorious BR's books, b..."

Which rare authors Mermarie? Any favorites?

Oh, I just meant the ones that aren't as familiar to me. I've been putting on my blinders to the notorious Zebra/BR writers..'cause everyone knows what style they had, and more particularly, if one of the most renowned writers has one on Kindle, they're likely to have their others as well.

Kay McMahon was pretty profound in her writing style. She had a poet's sense of directness, and description within the most fitting detail. Her Old English was superb, too - I believe under her pseudonym Catherine Emm, she blew Kathleen E. Woodiwiss's version of The Wolf and the Dove, out of the water. Their conversations and enunciation's were dead-nut accurate. And lord, her heroes were ungodly wicked! One in particular, from my favorite novel by Catherine Emm/McMahon, his lack of subtlety and discretion for his dislike women in general, just set fire beneath me. >:O He's the ONLY blonde hero I've ever bothered to remember. :D

I loved Kay McMahon! Have some of hers still,but pretty much read all her books. I would go threw a phase where I would get onto one author and have to have/read all her books.

Yeah, she's my favorite Zebra author! She had a style which wasn't duplicated; other Medieval English/Middle English authors failed in that area. Or they were overly contrived/cockney for the era. So, in the novel-- not only were there crimes all around, deaths, plots, forced-sex and seduction--but when they conversed; you got this beautiful Shakespearean transition that wasn't overpowering or contrived. I <3 her lilting ease of the language.

Mermarie wrote: "Yeah, she's my favorite Zebra author! She had a style which wasn't duplicated; other Medieval English/Middle English authors failed in that area. Or they were overly contrived/cockney for the era. ..."

Couldnt have said it better :)

My first was Ah, loved those old Troubadours.

I remember in Yr 9 English we were supposed to be "Serious reading" of a classic, I can't even remember what is was because I was reading Kathleen E Woodiwiss, "Shanna" inside the book I was supposed to be reading. The English teacher a seriously scary woman came up behind me and pulled out the copy of Shanna and declared to the whole class, "This is nothing but soft pornography" sending me out of the room. (Luckily I got Shanna back at the end of the lesson and a good talking to in the reading of decent literature.) Must say it didn't work, still love my smut to this day.

Another big favourite of the day, plus the sequels. Ah, Steve Morgan, now there was a glorious, un pc man of that time...

Lisa: Karla is a diehard Sweet, Savage Love groupie. ;D (Is it weird I know her favorite book? Floor planned. <3)

I'm actually reading it now. :D I wrote on my status that immediately whatever malady strikes that chap, will definitely be recoverable by one of his many mistresses circlin' overhead. lol

No hero beats Steve Morgan. :D

Lisa, I'd love to see what salacious lit that teacher had stashed away at home. I'm SURE there was something tawdry.

Yeah,she was probably pissed she couldnt be sitting there reading it! Glad you got your book back Lisa and remained true to reading good BR literature! And I agree Karla,no one beats Steve :)

My first historical that got me hooked on HRs beyond repair was The Sherbrooke Bride, but it wasn't really BR-y. The first one I read where the hero was a huge jerk, and got all rapey was Devil's Embrace, and I felt a little guilty, but I sorta liked it. Then I went on to more recent type stories for awhile and when I read Blaze Wyndham, I realized what I'd been missing with those sweeter type stories. I want some fighting and some hijinks! :D

°­¾±³Ùâ˜� wrote: "My first historical that got me hooked on HRs beyond repair was The Sherbrooke Bride, but it wasn't really BR-y. The first one I read where the hero was a huge jerk, and got all rapey was Devil's E..."

I guess you and I are the only ones Kit,I didnt mind Devil's Embrace..but that was quite a few years back,so on a re-read I might feel different..i havent gotten to Blaze Wyndham yet..have you read the sequel as well?

Sandi, I'm still waiting for Kay McMahon to hit Kindle, or ebooks. ;D Lol

Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~* wrote: "°­¾±³Ùâ˜� wrote: "My first historical that got me hooked on HRs beyond repair was The Sherbrooke Bride, but it wasn't really BR-y. The first one I read where the hero was a huge jerk, and got all rapey ..."

Yea, just recently. I thought it was good story-wise, but kinda tame for a Bertrice Small book.

My first BR was This Loving Torment by Valerie Sherwood. I think I was ten, maybe eleven when I read it and I was swept away.


Because of my love for The Three Musketeers, I loved all books that took place during the 17th Century, including Forever Amber. Almost all the romances I read during this time were all Cavalier type stories. And yes, I definitely knew that the cover of the book does not show the correct time period. I always wondered if this bugged Sherwood.

Anyway, I adored this book, and it set me off on a big love affair with Valerie Sherwood’s novels. Many of her books are the same though. This book is almost identical to Bold Breathless Love. The book starts out with a stunningly beautiful sixteen-year-old heroine with a tiny waist, who has mean relatives and gets into one scrape after another. She meets her first love, who’s a rogue who leaves her and she pines for him the rest of the book. She meets lecherous Puritans and snobby, rich, Dutch merchants. Then a drop-dead gorgeous, mega-macho buccaneer (don’t call him a pirate or he kill you) sweeps her up to take her to his stately home in Tortuga, where he rules like the buccaneer king. She does not want him though, because she’s still pining for the sop she met at the beginning of the book. This creates a mass of conflict towards the end with her telling him she’s leaving and him telling her, “You ain’t going nowhere.�

I loved Sherwood because she really did capture the 17th century. This was her favorite time period and it shows. She writes with loving description about clothes, food, furniture, pirates, and early Dutch colonies. Now looking back though, I remember getting tired of her long descriptions, and her recycling the same characters over and over again in each book.

Sherwood will always have a place in my heart though.

Hehe, Willow--then a week later, you start looking at grown men in the most peculiar light, wondering how they kiss. I'm telling you- could have ruined a few grown men in my tween years, emulating heroine's who were twice my age. ;X

That's true! LOLOL

It's funny though, at that age, I was truly baffled at why the heroine put up with the hero. I didn't understand why she just didn't dump his bossy ass and go off and have more adventures. After all, she was the most beautiful woman ever. LOL

Hahahaha, there were instances in Forbidden Magic, during my youthful, blanket fortress reading exploits--I was so entirely confused because I didn't think the hero had removed his entire armor set, and I thought... damn, I'll bet that's heavy. LOL

LOLOL Oh yes, and then you go back and reread to see if you've missed something.

LOL, I read Let's go play at the Adams'..and said I'd never babysit. I love the grimacing smile she left with, though. lol

Anna wrote: "My first BR was Shanna not too long ago! I started reading romance books in 2005 when I was 21. I started romance novels with Diana Palmer (yeah I know not a great start but I used to love her cowb..."

Im a long time Shanna fan too Anna! And for sure youll get lots of great recommends here :)

My first BR was Wicked Loving Lies i read it when i was in my 20's and i loved it.

Joeera wrote: "My first BR was Wicked Loving Lies i read it when i was in my 20's and i loved it."

Still one of my favorites Joeera, and still on my keeper shelf to re-read someday:)

It's one of my favorite's as well. Will get around to reading it again one of these days

Anna wrote: "My first BR was Shanna not too long ago! I started reading romance books in 2005 when I was 21. I started romance novels with Diana Palmer (yeah I know not a great start but I used to love her cowb..."

Shanna was also my first, but I read it back in 1983, when I was 13 years old. I think I rampaged thru Woodiwiss' entire catalog that summer....

I read my fist BR only a few months ago, it was The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen Woodiwiss, and I got hooked! It was actually a book I got duing a book swap and I never thought I would read it because I had never read a book like that. But one day I just wanted something different from the usual books I read, so I picked that up and the rest is history. I'm looking forward to the many new books to be discovered on here.

Anna wrote: "My first BR was Shanna not too long ago! I started reading romance books in 2005 when I was 21. I started romance novels with Diana Palmer (yeah I know not a great start but I used to love her cowb..."

Shanna was my first BR also! It remains one of my favorite books to this day. I read it in when I was 14 in the late 70's. I think I got my sex education from these books! LOL

I have read most of Kathleen Woodiwiss's books except Shanna and The Wolf and the Dove

Not everyone likes KEW, but I have a fondness for her books. I've read and re-read all her all her older books.

Lorelle wrote: "Not everyone likes KEW, but I have a fondness for her books. I've read and re-read all her all her older books."

Her last one wasnt very good,really lacked her "older" style of writing I was fond of :(

Isn't it odd, that sometimes authors work improves over the years(writing wise), but often times--their older work still held you captive, despite the lack of writing skill?

Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~* wrote: "Lorelle wrote: "Not everyone likes KEW, but I have a fondness for her books. I've read and re-read all her all her older books."

Her last one wasnt very good,really lacked her "older" style of wr..."

I agree, that is why I liked her older books better.

Mermarie wrote: "Isn't it odd, that sometimes authors work improves over the years(writing wise), but often times--their older work still held you captive, despite the lack of writing skill?"

So true Mermarie!

Mermarie wrote: "Oh, I just meant the ones that aren't as familiar to me. I've been putting on my blinders to the notorious Zebra/BR writers..'cause everyone knows what style they had, and more particularly, if one..."

KEW's version of Wolf and the Dove? Do you mean that Kay McMahon wrote a story like that first and KEW followed her? What was Mchaon's version of Wolf and the Dove called? It was my first and now best romance novel, have been trying to find a similar book for years

Mermarie wrote: "Isn't it odd, that sometimes authors work improves over the years(writing wise), but often times--their older work still held you captive, despite the lack of writing skill?"

I think that there's also more restrictions on what authors can put in there stories. I love my older Harleys. I'll take non-PC behavior or raunchy sex any day.

There really is something special about those older Harleys for sure Julz04. I loved them,until they started getting into the pregnacy ones/family types,then it seemed like it became the biggest theme and I got sick of it . I liked the hero/heroine..HEA... babies later.And all the new ones now seem to be a series :( I like the stand alone and the older ones were like that. I really must find one to re-read for ol'times sake:)

This isn't fair, because my first book WAS a bodice ripper. :( LMAO

I guess I was introduced to the bodice-ripper with the novel Steal the Flame. But, the one that got me hooked was Moontide Embrace.

I have to "blame" the great Kathleen E. Woodiwiss with her The flame and the flower to start my historical romance addiction. It was my first and still one of my favourite.
After I read Wicked loving lies by Rosemary Rogers and also her Sweet Savage Love, shocking and intriguing me at the same moment.
Then I met Jennifer Wilde with Love's tender fury and the rest of the trilogy...

Valeigi wrote: "I have to "blame" the great Kathleen E. Woodiwiss with her The flame and the flower to start my historical romance addiction. It was my first and still one of my favourite.
After I read Wicked lov..."

I have a copy of Flame and the Flower on my "to read" shelf too. Heard great things about it.