In the thrilling conclusion to our Western Civ I, we tackle shame. Shameless or shameful, shame has a utility. Is it worth examining in the context of romance?
You betcha buckaroo. Saddle up while we unpack this particular pair of chaps.
Why, it's Andrea Martucci of Shelf Love stopping by the Whoa!mance desk to talk about darling of her childhood, weird uncle of her adulthood - A LADY OF THE WEST by LINDA HOWARD.
Victoria leaves Reconstruction behind for The American West, and, its representative, The Major (with her kid sister and cool cousin in tow). The Major got his ranch the old fashioned way. By murdering his boss's enitre family - or so he thinks - and loosing a testicle in the process. His employee, Jake, also wants to get the ranch the old fashioned way - but with a side of revenge. And Victoria. Mostly Victoria. He also doesn't want to lose a testicle.
How can we wrestle with a book we enjoy that has harmful ideology? How can we trace the contours of conscientiousness if characters in romance don't share the text's awareness? Is Scarlett O'Hara the white woman's Patrick Bateman?
Andrea, Morgan and Isabeau have some big saddlebags to unpack with this one. Which is why it is a two-parter.
Join us for the what lies the wake of Darcy's thrilling bombshells.
While Jane Austen doesn't invent headhopping she does a bang up job of walking us through Lizzie's reaction to Darcy's screed of a letter.
Is this what growing up feels like? Who can say? Us. Us can say.
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Saddle up the Equimare and/or gas up the Autoduck - this week yr grls pass through the veil of THE UNDERTAKING OF HART AND MERCY by MEGAN BANNEN.
Marshall Hart sends a letter looking for a friend into the aether (which is not the strangest thing to do in the strange land of this book) and it lands on the desk of his nemesis - Undertaker Mercy. She also needs an anonymous friend, turns out.
Does reading fantasy romance juice your empathy or is it just so much more escapism? What makes a retelling worthwhile? When was the last time you lusted after a blond?
You'll want to check your box for this one, because we're sending it straight to your heart.
Wherein Darcy unburdens himself in an epistle to the girl who won't have him. He's fine--thanks for asking! It's only 8am and he's only been lurking in the park waiting for Lizzie to chance by for a little over an hour. He's fine!
What makes a manic pixie dream girl? How did Jane Austen know about them? And what makes declaring yourself punk rock? If anything?
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That a creaky stair or a creaky bed? Only one way to find out! Time to bust open the doors on "Jinxed" by Torri Heat.
Savannah thinks she's gotten the deal of a lifetime when she buys an abandoned house to open a thrift store. And, indeed, she gets far more than knick-knacks. She gets three hunky...well, not ghosts. But like, frozen-in-time-via-a-curse fellas? I guess you would say? Can these three radically different dudes from different historic eras put their differences aside so they can gang make-love-to Savannah? AND break the curse? Sure hope so..
Can a book be conscientious and lean on stereotypes for storytelling? What would a "porn book" be and does it matter? Don't you want your boyfriends to kiss?
This one may not be spooky, but it certainly has some twists.