1987
rating: good
plot: In this bodice-ripper, a strong-willed 18th century woman takes drastic measures to ensure that her father's estate, which would typically by law pass to the male heir, be bequeathed instead to herself.
Confession: I like to read romance novels a few times a year. Second confession: I chose this book solely because I heard it contained particularly steamy love scenes.
There is obviously a huge market for romance novels and I think it's a misconception that they are all drivel. There is, I think, a wide range of romance novels. There are the Harlequin kind which are mainly plot-less, like what you see on late-night TV soft-core. There are the Danielle Steel/Nora Roberts kind that are like cookie-cutter Lifetime movies with detailed love scenes. Gregory's book falls into the category of incognito romances. These are the kind of books that would completely work if the author removed the sex scenes; you might not even realize it is an incognito romance when you start reading it.
Gregory is famous now for writing The Other Boleyn Girl, which was recently a movie. (I read that one, too. Also an incognito romance.) Wideacre takes place on an 18th centry estate. Beatrice is a young woman supremely frustrated that she cannot by law inherit the estate, although she is the best farmer and business-person in her family. Starting when she is a teenager, she develops truly shocking plans to install herself in the power seat of the estate.
Beatrice is a fabulous anti-herioine in the tradition of Becky Sharp of Vanity Fair and Marquise de Merteuil of Les Liaisons Dangereuses (andthe Marquise's modern incarnation, Kathryn Merteuil of Cruel Intentions). And the plot is very VC Andrews, if you catch my drift. This is definitely a fun read if you feel like living vicariously through a deliciously devious, plotting female.
I will have to check this one out. My last book club wanted to read the Other Boyeln Girl soley because of the love scenes. There was a request for "ripping bodices". Smart and historical, yet still entertaining.
ReplyDeletewant steamy? Have you read "the claiming of sleeping beauty" ? anne rice did it under roqulare (something like that)
ReplyDeleteits is PURE steam. zomg.
there are 3 in the series too so if you like the first one....
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ReplyDelete(That comment deleted was me - I'm still trying to figure out how blogger works!)
ReplyDeleteMichele - The Other Boleyn Girl was good. It was fun to read about the crazy henry viii and I was sympathetic to the main character. It was had a romantic story. As a warning, Wideacre's main character is villainous and not everyone might enjoy reading about a character that they can’t like.
Hillary – Holy moly. I wiki-ed The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty and found it described as an “erotic novel” and “BDSM”. I suppose that those of us who have to wiki the term “BDSM” are not the target audience for “BDSM.” But I’m putting this on my list for the next time I need a steamy romance!
I had to google it just now! haaa I read it freshman year in college when the roommate I hated insisted then all the rest roommates read it and dave and anyone who'd listen.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't get into this author but I am also of the mind that a bodice ripper must be read once or twice or such, a year. I feel like they cleanse my palate or something!
ReplyDelete