historical romance - Felicia Davin

A slightly worn paperback copy of Megan Chance's A Candle in the Dark. The cover illustration shows a white man pulling a white woman into his lap to embrace her.

historical romance

After the end

on romance novel epilogues

three book covers: A Lady for All Seasons by TJ Alexander, Duchess by Night by Eloisa James, The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

expressions

Fly off the handle

On the expression "fly off the handle" and, of course, romance novels

A black and white photo of a tablet covered with lines of carved Rongorongo script

ancient history

Ox turning

Writing forward and backward and upside down, in letters and telegrams and meows, and, of course, romance novels

a photo of two paperbacks, Dance and Bliss by Judy Cuevas

Judy Cuevas/Judith Ivory

Hot organic fusion

digging into a scene from Dance by Judy Cuevas

The façade of the cathedral at Reims, which is built of white stone. There are two towers, a rose window, and three portals with pointed arches.

historical romance

Buildings and books

le livre et l'édifice, but more importantly, romance novels

a collage of narrow slices of all the covers of the books mentioned in the text below

historical romance

200

a few of the previous 200 (!) issues of Word Suitcase, and, as always, romance novels

Four book covers: David Brin's The Uplift War, Emma Barry's Bad Reputation, Diana Quincy's The Earl that Got Away, Juniper Butterworth's The Dragon Under the Hill

sci fi or fantasy

Rarities

learning new words from an old sci-fi novel, and, as usual, romance novels

A used paperback romance novel depicting a shirtless, caped man embracing a blonde woman in a white dress. She's holding a rose.

Judy Cuevas/Judith Ivory

French letters and English hats

condoms, romance novels, rivers of forgetfulness, and loving monsters

paperback copy of Black Silk by Judy Cuevas, showing a white couple in 1850s clothes undressing and embracing

historical romance

Ticklishly pleasing

Judy Cuevas, tiles, and my new theory of romance novels

the cover for Delicious by Sherry Thomas, showing a white woman's back in an unlaced corset

food words

Pudding eater blues

yeah we're talking about Sherry Thomas again

Book covers for Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness, Sherry Thomas's Ravishing the Heiress, and Darcy Liao's Make Room for Love

sci fi or fantasy

Answerable

on The Left Hand of Darkness, Ravishing the Heiress, and Make Room for Love

white marble statue of Venus lifting her skirt and displaying her butt

art history

largely composed behinde

statues, butts, romance

an Impressionist oil painting depicting a happy crowd of people eating and drinking and flirting

French literature

Crush and pash

the overpowering violence of infatuations, Renoir and Maupassant, and of course, romance novels

food words

A costly dish

in which I’m perilously out of my depth re: food words (but perfectly at home re: romance novels)

$graphic showing fractions of the covers of the romance novels reviewed$

historical romance

Absolute skulduggery

sneaking around and romance novels

black and white photograph described in caption

fashion

Kamarband

a little fashion history and some romance novels

photo of a brougham (closed 4-wheeled carriage)

historical romance

slaps roof of brougham

some love for Sherry Thomas novels

a sloped cobblestone alley with red brick buildings

US history

Corcas

etymological mysteries and romance novels

an oil painting of a man wearing a cravat

fashion

On cravats

Croatia, must-have historical romance accessories, and romance novels

contemporary romance

Fish, cheese, war

various mongers, and, of course, romance novels

expressions

I do cock a snook, but not at thee

rude gestures, death, and romance novels

animal words

Big-eared rabbit-eared

a small Australian marsupial, language names, and romance novels

sapphic romance

and sucks in his turn

VAMPIRE, n. These fanged undead creatures show up in romance novels a lot, often as protagonists, so it’s sort of surprising that I haven’t looked up the word until now. People love to argue about vampire lore—what powers they have, what weaknesses—and I’m not sure

contemporary romance

Ground down

CONTRITION, n. Did you know that this word used to mean “[t]he action of rubbing things together, or against each other; grinding, pounding or bruising (so as to comminute or pulverize)” (OED)? I did not. I was only familiar with the figurative meaning: “being bruised in heart; sorrow or

contemporary romance

Downfalls and inheritances

DEMISE, n. This word showed up in one of the romance novels below (A Caribbean Heiress in Paris) in the sentence “If the duke only knew that his sons had been plotting his demise for weeks […]” In context, the duke’s sons are not plotting his death, but his downfall;