Politically Incorrect Novels--Bodice Rippers

Bodice Rippers are not politically correct. There is often rape, violence and other hosts of offending acts in a true Bodice Ripper. I freaking love them. I cut my teeth on them. Princess Daisy by Judith Krantz has a scene where her half brother rapes her. I read that book about fifteen times and maybe more when I was nine years old. All I wanted was MORE.

Here, I am going to start to go through the best Bodice Rippers for my politically incorrect friends that have a penchant for all kinds of what-the-fuckery.

The absolute best Bodice Ripper is The Silver Devil by Teresa Denys. This book has all kinds of insane shit happening. The hero is an absolute MONSTER. He feeds his male lover to the dogs. He gives his discarded mistresses away like they are pieces of trash and he kills people without a trace of guilt. Yet still, I LOVE HIM. Go figure. There's rape, homosexuality, battles, murder, tortured souls and love. I treasure this book beyond reason. I hope that doesn't scare you guys, but if you've read my books, there is little that I shrink from.

Next up would be Lemonade by Nina Pennacchi. This book has hardcore rape in it, so tread lightly my friends. Still, the book broke my heart in half. I couldn't put it down. If you are one that loves a good heart wrenching bodice ripper, this one is for you.

I have been reading through the works of Connie Mason this week. I know that I read some of these works as young girl and teenager, but it's been so long that I hardly remember the stories. I have gained a new appreciation for her craft, but I do recognize formulas when I read them. Despite the repetitive formula, I still enjoy the books. You can pick up any of her novels and fall in love.

Now, the one book that is downright scary is Tender Fury. This is a real bodice ripper and sometimes I want to kill the hero. He is abusive to galactic proportions. The only redeeming factor in this entire novel is that the heroine is not a complete push over. She runs like hell from him, takes other lovers and has no problem walking away from the him. He deserves it because he's a complete prick. I won't tell the ending, but I disagree with it heartily, while still loving the book.

Viking is one I recommend without hesitation. It's sexy and it's good story. It is definitely not politically correct. It has slavery, beatings and all kinds of "what the hell did I just read?" going on. Definitely worth picking up!

I also enjoyed The Price of Pleasure. You can't go wrong there!

You can't discuss Bodice Rippers without mentioning Stormfire by Christie Monson. I read it as a kid and loved it. I read it as an adult and didn't like nearly as much. In fact, I rather despised it, but it's still a classic. Read it with caution, because the hero is such an incredible piece of shit that I want to kill him and find a better man for the heroine.

No Bodice Ripper Collection is complete without Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. I would suggest starting with The Flame and the Flower. Then try Shanna. Some of her books are intolerable, simply because they will put you to sleep or make you wonder how anyone could be so incredibly stupid, but are way better than some of the dribble I've come across trying to find a good book.

Many readers enjoy Rosemary Rogers. I am one of the few that find most of her works boring. Despite the sex scenes, I can't seem to enjoy the actual love story because there isn't much of one. There is something that doesn't ring true for me and I'm not sure what it is exactly, but I don't feel the chemistry. It's like the hero ignores the heroine completely until he screws her without any preamble or build up, dumps her like a piece of trash and then comes back later to say how much her loves her. And the heroines? They are so stupid that it hurts sometimes. HURTS.

Not to say that some of you won't love her and she is inexplicably popular, but so was 50 Shades of Grey. I never understood that craze. The chick was a VIRGIN and somehow gave a perfect blowjob to her gazillionaire boyfriend. It's like finding two unicorns fucking in your backyard while Morgan Freeman narrates the blow-by-blows wearing a Darth Vader helmet. It doesn't fucking happen.

No Bodice Ripper collection is complete without the great Johanna Lindsey. You could choose almost any of her books and find something amazing, except for the Warrior's Woman (Ly-San-Ter, #1) series. It's so dumb and repetitive that I had to force myself to get through them. I can still see the word "farthing" over and over. Get a spine, Johanna and just say the word "fucking." You will feel better for it.

Bertrice Small is good, but sometimes she's too tame for me. It really depends on the book. Skye O'Malley is the one to go for first. If you want to delve further into her writings, then give her a whirl.

Now, Sylvia Day is not an actual Bodice Ripper author if you ask me and she writes more contemporary romance novels than she does historical, but she has a few novels that are still absolutely worth the read; Passion for the Game being the most stellar of all of them. I give her props for not being afraid of the word "cunt." So many authors shrink from it like the word has leprosy, but the word "cock" is perfectly acceptable. Damn, I'm digressing. Read it; you won't regret it.

I promise to keep updating this list, but I have read so damn many books that it's hard to keep up with them sometimes. I often pull out a book and have to really think, "Did I read this one already?" We are talking about thousands of books here. No kidding, I started reading A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin and realized I had already read it ten years before. Who forgets that book? Well, me apparently.