Barefooted came the Beggar-Maid before the King Cophetua, Norman Mills Price (1877 – 1951)
The Silver Devil
I went into this book expecting it to be the infamous bodice ripper it is hyped up to be, just to find myself reading a dubious historic romance with more political intrigue than erotica.
The steamy romance builds up until the halfway point where it becomes more political than anything as the lead couple are forced to halt their lovemaking. I was initially concerned that it would drag and become uninteresting but I ended up finding this to be the more interesting half of the novel. Seeing both Domenico and Felicia basically become different people, literally and figuratively, as a direct result of the invasion by the Spanish had me glued to the pages wondering if they would survive, let alone finally realise that they genuinely love each other.
What I like about Felicia is that she has every reason to be as innocent as she is, which makes her naivety make sense rather than annoy me. She was locked up to do the chores of her brother’s business all her life, so of course she’s going to misconstrue the noble politics and social cues. I also liked that she doesn’t acknowledge herself as ugly just plain, which in comparison to how she is then groomed and dressed by Domenico’s court makes complete sense for the narrative. She’s an unreliable narrator that has no clue what to do in the presence of the nobles and duke, which makes following the plot points a lot easier on the uninformed reader for the time period.
Domenico is written in such a way that, yes, despite his childlike attitude and cruelty towards people he views as disposable he is still likeable and I was rooting for him all the way. Denys portrayed him so well through Felicia’s eyes, particularly how his behaviour would shift between her and the nobles. He is immensely flawed and downright evil, but there’s such a “babygirl” aspect to him similar to that of Griffith from Berserk that makes me kick legs and giggle as if I were in the room with him.
Like a lot of historical pieces, there was a lot of rape and sexual violence mentioned throughout the story. There are four instances in which Felicia is backed into a corner and almost raped along with other depictions of women being forced into having sex with Alesandro, both of which Domenico allows to happen. This along with the depiction of page boys being victimised by the generals in the latter half of the novel as well as the insinuated sexual grooming of Domenico by his stepmother Isabella. It’s a lot, and it was really sour to read through those parts. Even Felicia’s first night with Domenico is graphic rape. This can all be excused as part of the historical setting, but it is understandable that some readers would want to avoid the novel due to this. While it didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the plot, I do wish a lot of it was toned down. There are even moments where the character of Maddalena is punished in the story through sexual violence, which to me felt unnecessary as her character was already clearly unlikeable.
I really wanted to see if I could fish out a copy of this secondhand and was shocked at how much it goes for. Like many cult classics I have become obsessed with owning, I’ll just have to keep an eye out for it in the secondhand bookstores I frequent hoping that no one else is also on the prowl for an absolute bargain.
Stepback Covers Part III: The First Stepback in Romance
Stepback Covers Part III: The First Stepback in Romance
Pocket Books and The First Romance Stepback
I’ve searched around to find which was the first mainstream paperback romance to use a genuine stepback cover. I’m not 100% certain, but likely, it was Janet Dailey‘s first full-length, single-issue romance, Touch the Wind. Pocket Books published it in May 1979.
This stepback cover had a keyhole opening that showed the couple in an embrace. Open the…
I went to Half Price Books and found these!! I'm over the moon and grateful to whoever undersold these to HPB so that they could, in turn, undersell them to me.
If anyone has any interest in surveys, I have one for my thesis project. It’s about indie romance bookstores and what makes you like them. I figured a group of people who use an app called romance club might have some interest
With the recent controversy surrounding The Acolyte, where Qimir was shown getting into a lake naked and revealing his chest, it's easy to forget that Return of the Jedi, the first Star Wars film to be criticized for being too "childish" due to the cannibal-like Ewoks, also featured a scene with Oola's green-colored breast, which went largely unnoticed. In fact, George Lucas even kept this scene in the special editions of the film!
Sweet Savage Flame’s Covers of the Week #131 showcases some vintage romance novel covers featuring the legendary model Steve Holland.
Known as THE “Illustrator’s Model,” Steve Holland. Holland was a 20th-century icon who modeled for comics, magazines, pulps, and mass-market paperbacks.
Sweet Savage Flame’s Covers of the Week #131 showcases some vintage romance novel covers featuring the legendary model Steve Holland.
Known as THE “Illustrator’s Model,” Steve Holland. Holland was a 20th-century icon who modeled for comics, magazines, pulps, and mass-market paperbacks.
Historical Romance Review: Comanche Cowboy by Georgina Gentry
Comanche Cowboy by Georgina Gentry follows the captivating journey of a man and a woman against the backdrop of the Old West. With its well-developed characters, sensual love scenes, and typical genre action, fans of Western romance will want to read this one.
Historical Romance Review: The Forever Tree by Rosanne Bittner
The Forever Tree by Rosanne Bittner is a gut-wrenching historical romance and yet another excellent book by an author who rarely disappoints. This heartbreaking read will leave you in tears, despite its happy ending.
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The Forever Tree, Rosanne Bittner, Bantam,…
It's Top 10 Tuesday, the first one of the new year! So today, we're sharing our favorite retro reads from 2023.
It’s Top 10 Tuesday, the first one of the new year! So today, we’re sharing our favorite retro reads from 2023.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Sweet Savage Flame earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases.
Table of contentsIt’s Top Ten TuesdayThis Week’s Theme: Our Best Reads from 2023List of 10 Favorite Books We Read in 20231. Cheyenne Captive by…
Our selections for Covers of the Week #128 feature four Gothic romances that perfectly capture the chilly spirit of the winter season.
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Theme: Winter Gothic Covers
in honor of winter. The first Covers of the Week of 2024 feature four Gothic covers with snowy…
Sweet Savage Flame is celebrating the arrival of the New Year of 2024 with romance covers featuring fireworks.
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Theme: Celebrating New Year 2024 with Fireworks
Happy 2024! Sweet Savage Flame’s Covers of the Week #127 again celebrates the arrival of a new year…
Top Ten Tuesday: Most Recent Additions to My Bookshelf
It’s Top Ten Tuesday. This week, we’re posting a list of the ten latest additions to my bookshelf. Since we are prolific hoarders—that is, collectors—we are limiting this to only the latest romance and romance-related books.
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Top Ten Tuesday
Today is another Top…
Covers of the Week #126: Regency Christmas Romances
For Sweet Savage Flame’s Covers of the Week #126, we wish everyone a Merry Christmas with these sweet Christmas-themed Regency romances.
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Theme: Regency Christmas
The holiday season is upon us, a time of joy and excitement. As we approach Christmas, let’s take a…
stormborns
dailybridgerton
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janainaart
theartofmadeline
