The Ripped Bodice is back with another round of Summer Romance Bingo. The link above contains explanation of the rules, plus a printable copy of their bingo board. Additionally, you can check out their helpful tweet:
Bingo is BACK!!
Kick off your summer of reading today!Downloadable cards, rules, recommendations and more are at:https://t.co/zsNUoMryHu#RippedBodiceBingo pic.twitter.com/im9N4b1zEW
— The Ripped Bodice (@TheRippedBodice) June 1, 2018
We’ll be playing along in our Goodreads group and helping one another out with recommendations. You can also follow The Ripped Bodice on Twitter for more recs. If you’re not on Goodreads, that’s okay! We’ll be giving some suggestions here and opening it up to the Bitchery for further help in the comments.
Not all of the square themes are listed below as some can really only be found while reading like Hero Smells Like “MAN” and Heroine’s Eyes Are Described Using the Ocean.
For the recs, we’re pulling from books that have been mentioned here on SBTB, are well-known, or have been recommended to us!
Soccer/Futbol
The most obvious choice is Kulti by Marianna Zapata. ( A | BN | K )
Keeping Score by Sara Rider ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) has a soccer playing heroine.
MacRieve by Kresley Cole ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) is a paranormal romance that also has a soccer playing heroine, but the sports aspect isn’t a huge part of the book.
Additional resources include our Rec League on Athlete Heroines and a huge list from Lacy Literacy.
Fairy Tale Retelling
Did you know we have a huge “theme” list in our database and retellings are part of it? But also, you probably can’t throw a rock without hitting some fairy tale elements in a romance.
Sonali Dev’s latest – A Distant Heart ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) is a Rapunzel retelling.
Elyse enjoyed The Seafarer’s Kiss, which is a F/F retelling of The Little Mermaid.
Bollywood and the Beast by Suleikha Snyder ( A | BN | K | AB ) received an A- grade!
Forced Proximity
Stuck together for a weekend? Or out of necessity, like inclement weather? It all counts!
We did a Rec League for this way back when, though it focused more on being stranded during bad weather.
Sarah and I just read Grumpy Fake Boyfriend, which has the hero and heroine faking a relationship while away at a wedding.
Haven by Rebekah Weatherspoon ( A | BN | K ) has the hero and heroine sharing a cabin for a limited time. I’ve read this one and content warning for trauma.
Firefighters
I mostly enjoyed Playing with Fire by Kate Meader ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) and gave it a B- in a Lightning Review.
We recently had a great guest review of Strike a Match, which is a lesbian romance.
If you’re really looking for something hot, try Hot Head by Damon Suede ( A | BN | K | G | AB )
Young Adult Paranormal
This one was a little tough because there’s a fine line between fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal.
Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) is a tried and true suggestion, if you didn’t read it for last year’s bingo.
We had a Keeper Shelf squee of a YA historical paranormal called The Dark Days Club.
Jennifer Estep writes a paranormal YA series that has mythology and magic. Start with Touch of Frost ( A | K | G | AB | Au | Scribd ).
Carriage Sex
I’m not well-versed in carriage sex or historical romances in general, but this HaBO thread might be of use!
Fashionista
Cherry in The Princess Trap ( A ) would definitely qualify!
Set at a Summer Camp
The Time of His Life by Jamie Wesley ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) is a contemporary romance that features adults at summer camp for a Get Your Groove Back weekend.
Sarah was really excited for Nothing Happened ( A | BN | K | G | AB ), which is a retelling of Much Ado About Nothing at a summer camp.
Enemies to Lovers
Sarah just recently finished and loved Making Up by Lucy Parker! ( A | BN | K | G | AB )
Mister McHottie ( A ) was a book I saw recommended on Twitter by Elisabeth Lane of Cooking Up Romance.
Redheadedgirl read and enjoyed Bedchamber Games by Tracy Anne Warren.
Mermaids
Once again, we’re recommending The Seafarer’s Kiss ( A | BN | K | AB )! Read it, already!
Elyse and I read Into the Drowning Deep ( A | BN | K | G | AB ), which had killer mermaids. There were a couple romance threads, but it’s more horror/thriller.
Extreme Location
Elyse and I heard about M.K. Schiller’s Kiss the Sky ( A | BN | K | G | AB )at RT in Reno. Both the hero and heroine are climbing K2. Elyse bought it on the spot.
Queer + Historical
Whew, boy. We have a lot of recommendations for this one!
You can’t go anything wrong with books by Cat Sebastian or KJ Charles! Try It Takes Two to Tumble ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) or Wanted, a Gentleman.
Bound with Love by Megan Mulry ( A | BN | K | AB ) is a queer historical with a central lesbian romance.
Mackenzi Lee’s The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) was recently on sale.
Hero Named Harry
More KJ Charles! A Fashionable Indulgence ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au ) has a Harry.
Courting the Countess by Jenny Frame is a lesbian romance that has a heroine who goes by Harry.
The Trouble with Harry by Katie MacAlister ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) – it’s in the name!
Book That is Now a Movie
The best way to include a romance in this category is to use books picked up by PassionFlix!
The Trouble with Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis ( A | BN | K | G | AB ), which Elyse absolutely loved!
Hollywood Dirt by Alessandra Torre ( A | BN | AB )
There’s also The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel van Dyken ( A ).
Pre-Renaissance
The Warlord’s Wife was favorably reviewed here and takes place in 12th century Sweden.
The Bride by Julie Garwood ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) is a huge favorite of mine. If you haven’t read it, do so!
Time Travel
Outlander ( A | K | G | AB | Au ) is an obvious choice for those looking to read it.
Beautiful Wreck by Larissa Brown earned a B+ here!
Elyse could not stop talking about Passenger by Alexandra Bracken ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au ), if you happen to enjoy YA.
If you enjoy mystery elements, why not try Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor.
Tech in the Big City
Playing with Matches ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) features dating apps and was recently mentioned by Sarah in June 2018’s Hide Your Wallet post.
Love on My Mind by Tracey Livesay ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) has a tech CEO/computer genius hero.
Heroine is Older Than the Hero
Dating You/Hating You by Christina Lauren is such a great book and I loved every bit of it.
On Pointe by Shelly Ellis ( A ) has a ballet dancer and Redheadedgirl recommends it.
I made a cocktail for The Idea of You, but be warned that it ends on a cliffhanger and not exactly happily.
Return to Hometown
I really love Alice Clayton’s Hudson Valley series and you can’t go wrong with Nuts ( A | BN | K | G | AB ).
We had a squee for this lesbian contemporary romance – Strawberry Summer ( A | BN | K | AB )
Just a Girl by Ellie Cahill was a book Elyse liked and features a rockstar heroine who returns home after getting kicked out of her band.
Damsel in Distress
I blanked really badly on this one, though I’m sure there are tons of “down on her luck” heroines. Blame the allergies.
Are you playing this summer? What books would you recommend for filling out a bingo card?
Eve Silver’s gothic romance DARK DESIRES opens with a damsel in a wee bit of distress: homeless, starving, fleeing a brothel, and being stalked possibly by Jack the Ripper.
Gothic romance in general is probably a treasure trove for that square.
P.S. The aforementioned Eve Silver book is permafree at all sellers.
Older Heroine – Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie. Damsel in Distress – Unveiled comes to mind, but a lot of Courtney Milan’s books would work, depending on how you define distress.
I’m not playing, but for anyone who is , Roberta Gellis is by far the the best Pre-Renaissance author out there. She’s an older author, but far from a “bodice ripper” author. My absolute favorite book by her is THE ROPE DANCER which can probably be found on Amazon.
I can’t quite remember, but do Emma and Stuart have carriage sex in Judith Ivory’s Untie My Heart?
For older heroine with younger man I really enjoyed Judith Duncan’s Driven to Distraction. I think Julianna Keyes’ Just Once would work as a Summer Camp novel. Nadia Nichols has written several books set in the wilderness of Alaska and Canada’s NW Territories and Labrador that would work for Extreme Locations.
Some books with a hero named Harry: As You Desre, What Happens in London, Tempt Me at Twilight, A Fashionable Indulgence, and Lost Highways.
Rose Lerner’s In for a Penny has a twist on the damsel in distress (hero & heroine discuss Gothic melodramas before finding themselves caught up in melodramatic events).
Kianna Alexander’s A San Diego Romance has a fashion boutique owner heroine, so that might do for fashionista!
Courtney Milan’s Cyclone series is a great example of Tech in the Big City. Novels are based on people who have a connection to Cyclone, a fictional tech company.
I’ve seen mentions for Kulti here before and every time I do, there’s an alarm going of in my head.
I didn’t like that book. It needs tons of editing and it was like the writer didn’t know anything about football* but also didn’t bother to do research and just made some game rules up. There were just so many things that weren’t correct. It bothered me enormously.
So if you need a recommendation for the football category: don’t read Kulti. Read Scoring Wilder by R.S. Grey instead.
* I’m from Europe, here’s just no way I’m going to write soccer or futbol 🙂
Some m/m recommendations
Book made into a movie – Love, Simon is the movie and Simon vs the HomoSapien Agenda is a great read.
Summer camp – Camp HOWL by bru Baker – paranormal Summer Camp shifters go to camp to learn to control shifts so they don’t ‘out’ themselves to humans. Has a character who was latent ‘older than normal’ that finally turns.
Heroine is older in the Bride Next Door by Hope Ramsay
There is delicious carriage sex in many of the Maiden Lane books by Elizabeth Hoyt. I remember in particular Thief of Shadows (Winter and Isabelle) and the second one in the series with Hero and Griffin whose title I can never ever remember. Notorious Rogue?
Completely by Ruthie Knox starts on an Everest climb (but then goes to NYC)
I was halfway there – Notorious Pleasures
And speaking of Elizabeth Hoyt, Harry is the name of the hero in The Leopard Price which is one of my FAVORITES. Delicious delicious beta hero, delightfully quirky heroine breaking out of her privileged world, and super smoking hot sex.
Time Travel: My Heart Stood Still by Lynn Kurland. It’s part of the MacLeod Family series, which revolves around time travel (present to past Scotland).
I read CRAZY RICH ASIANS for the SBTB challenge, and the movie version is coming out this summer. Rachel struck me as a contemporary version of a Jane Austen heroine, which made for a nice contrast with the over-the-top DYNASTY-style excess. At first I wasn’t so sure I liked a lot of the characters, and the endnotes at each chapter kind of drove me crazy. That said, I immediately had to devour the rest of the series afterward, and am very eager to see the movie now. (I’d say installment two, CHINA RICH GIRLFRIEND, seems most suited to romance readers, with the introduction of Charlie and Astrid’s slow-burn second-chance plotline. RICH PEOPLE PROBLEMS is a bit slapsticky and bombastic, but does tie everything together.)
I vaguely remember that Jamie Fessenden’s m/m THE CHRISTMAS WAGER might have carriage sex, but I’d have to check…
Problematic classic Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss technically has carriage sex (there’s penetration before he’s snatched away due to her treachery, but it’s not the whole deal).
Kat Latham’s Taming the Legend is about a rugby player who helps his ex out with her summer camp.
I will second Lynn Kurland for time travel. The More I See You is great.
Kristen Ashley’s The Will‘s Josephine is a fashionista.
Shelly Laurenston’s Here Kitty, Kitty!‘s Angelina Santiago is a fashionista.
Jayne Ann Krentz’ Absolutely, Positively has a hero named Harry.
Passionflix has a few books to movies.
Driven by K. Brombert (releases this summer)
After Burn & After Shock by Sylvia Day
Lifetime has done some Nora Roberts books:
Angel’s Falls
Blue Smoke
Carolina Moon
High Noon
Northern Lights
Tribute
Montana Sky
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas is a Beauty and the Beast retelling (plus you’re then ready to dive into A Court of Mist and Fury, which, /dreamy sigh/)
Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy is set at a (hockey) summer camp and, for bonus points, has flashbacks to the time the heroes spent at summer camp.
I want to second “-m-“‘s comment that people who know soccer will be disappointed by Kulti. It was just full of factual errors about how the game is organized, trained for, and played. I try not to let my inner pedant out *too* much, but I think as it’s being recommended here for a specifically soccer-based category, it’s a fair warning.
I’m only halfway through it, but Rebecca Crowley’s Crossing Hearts is a soccer romance with a really interesting premise (Chilean futbol superstar falls for his translator), and is clearly written by someone who knows the game.
On a different note, in terms of summer camp, I think Kate Clayborn’s Luck of the Draw is a perfect fit, and one of the best books I’ve read in a while!
S.E. Phillips’s “Dream a Little Dream” has a down-on-her-luck heroine who could definitely qualify as distressed. She’s down to her last few dollars at the beginning of the book.
Re: mermaids, there’s Tamsin Ley’s The Merman’s Kiss. It’s part of her Mates for Monsters series, and it’s a novella.
Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy is a m/m hockey romance set at a summer camp. Brooklynaire by Sarina Bowen is a m/f romance that would work for damsel in distress. The heroine, Rebecca, has a concussion and Nate steps in to make sure she’s taken care of.
I think At Any Price by Brenna Aubrey would definitely work as tech in the big city and arguably as damsel in distress. The heroine (Mia) decides to auction off her virginity because she needs to be able to pay for med school and her mom’s medical bills. The hero is a software company CEO and also he and Mia have been online friends for a while before she decides to do this. I enjoyed it immensely.
I would argue that Dance with Me by Alexis Daria fully meets damsel in distress requirements and it’s absolutely amazing. So many people seem to think (on Goodreads) that it isn’t as good as Take the Lead, but I disagree. I adored Dance with Me.
I’m almost 100% sure that there is carriage sex in multiple Sarah MacLean novels, but of course, I can’t currently remember which ones.
The first romance novel I read (that got me hooked on the genre) was Mistress by Amanda Quick and there is a carriage sex scene in that. I think several of her 90s historicals have at least one carriage sex scene.
Also, A Secret Love by Stephanie Laurens has a carriage sex scene. It’s the 5th book in her Cynster series. The 4th book in that series has a hero named Harry “Demon” Cynster. These books are great on audio too if you can find the versions narrated by Simon Prebble.
Kylie Scott’s Dirty begins with a “damsel in distress” when the hero finds a runaway bride crying in his bathroom.
Julie Garwood’s The Secret is another of her great Pre-Renaissance historicals. It also features a delightful female friendship that kicks the story off with a super adorable first meeting. It’s one of my favorite rereads.
For damsel in distress – To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt. A woman on the run with her children and hiding in the castle of a disfigured man. (Beauty & the Beast is my catnip.) Also, A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn. The entire plot revolves around a mysterious group who are after the heroine for unknown reasons and she is in hiding with the hero.
Historical queer – I agree with KJ Charles & Cat Sebastian. As alternative suggestions I like Charles’ The Magpie Lord which is a trifecta of m/m romance, historical, and magic. For Sebastian, I prefer The Lawrence Browne Affair or The Soldier’s Scoundrel. Lots of great chemistry from all of these.
Carriage Sex – I’m pretty sure there is plenty of these scenes in Grace Callaway’s books, but the most recent I’ve read is Never Say Never to an Earl. Also, Nicola Davidson’s Surrender to Sin has a pretty hot and heavy scene as well.
Older heroine – Penny Reid’s Love Hacked (Knitting in the City Series). Not my favorite in the series but it fits the bill.
“Bay of Sighs” by Nora Roberts would work for the “Mermaid” square.
Seconded on Elizabeth Hoyt. There is also carriage sex in the first Maiden Lane book, Wicked Intentions. and now I need more sex in carriages. To read about, of course!
Judith Merkle Riley wrote a medieval series/trilogy centered around midwife/mother/wife Margaret of Asbury: A Vision of Light (sees visions, becomes midwife, learns to read and write), In Pursuit of the Green Lion (alchemy, rescuing her boo while pregnant, defeating evil), and Water Devil (the weakest of the three, and also the shortest). Fabulous.
I emphatically second Cara’s recommendation of Love Hacked for the Older Heroine category. Not for everyone, but it’s my personal favourite book in that series. It’s very funny with a little mystery and a dash of crazysauce, plus I adore Sandra, the heroine, and Alex is the perfect weird match for her. Maybe I will re-read it this summer.
For Pre-Renaissance, I just finished reading Shadowheart by Laura Kinsale, which I liked although I found it dragged in spots. And I read the updated condensed version, not the original (the ebook included both), which I am grateful for!
Jude Devereaux’s A Knight in Shining Armor would also work for Pre-Renaissance, as well as Time-travel.
For Tech in the City I recommend This Time Next Door by Gretchen Galway and the #gaymers series by Annabeth Albert.
For Return to Hometown, I liked Flirting with Disaster by Ruthie Knox.
For YA Paranormal, Evil Librarian is a fun read.
See you on Goodreads!
For Fashonista I would recommend Need You by Stacy Finz (just block out the 80’s cover – the book is from 2017 so this is a cover fail to me). The heroine is a high end fashion designer trying to get her creative juices back after a nasty divorce which included losing some of her business. I got this at RT last year and wasn’t expecting much based on the blurb and cover, but really liked it – enough to continue the series.
For Beauty and the Beast, I would recommend The Vixen and the Vet by Katy Regnery (CW for attempted sexual assault of the heroine).
YA Paranormal –
Bridgid Kemmerer’s Elemental series. It’s about 4 orphaned brothers with the ability to connect with different elements (earth, fire, air, etc) – unlike other YA PNR, they’re not fighting to save the world, they’re just fighting to stay together. All but book 3 have a romance with an hfn – read GR for spoilers to books 3 and 5. Book 4 is m/m, the rest are m/f. Book 1 is probably the strongest and it’s pretty stand-alone.
Queer Historial –
Ava March writes mm historicals, if you like your historicals on the trashier side and with bdsm elements
Patience and Sarah by Isobel Miller – published in the 70s as historical fiction this f/f romance holds up well. Set in early 19th C Connecticut and upstate NY.
The Doctor’s Discretion by EE Ottoman – m/m trans IR romance set in 1830s NY city. This isn’t my fave by this author – I found the writing style really stilted and explain-y, so read the sample first. But it’s an interesting romance in a very unusual setting.
I feel like I have a ton of lesbian pirate historicals on my wishlist, but I’m not coming up with any titles right now.
Birds are somehow involved
– The Crows series by Shelley Laurenston
– The Magpies series by KJ Charles
– Kim Dare has an mm bdsm series with avian shape shifters – the first one is called Duck! (and bonus, it’s a retelling of The Ugly Duckling). The writing style has some quirks and world building is weak but I found them hot and fun.
Positively Pippa by Sarah Hegger has a heroine who just got fired from a What Not to Wear kind of makeover show. If she doesn’t qualify as a fashionista, her extravagant grandma surely must.
A book in which the hero was always impeccably attired has been nagging at me but remains elusive…
My romantic suspense novel Counterfeits is set at a children’s art camp, but in winter when the children aren’t there. The heroine has just inherited it from her grandmother who has died under suspicious circumstances. And my treasure hunting romantic adventures are set in somewhat extreme New Mexico desert situations. That collection starts with The Mad Monk’s Treasure. Whispers in the Dark is set at a remote archaeology park in the four corners area, also fairly extreme.
For extreme settings, Jill Sorenson’s Aftershock series is set after an earthquake – in the first one, the h/h are trapped under a freeway.
@REn Benton, “A book in which the hero was always impeccably attired” brings to mind the historical romance Heartless (Georgian, #1) by Mary Balogh.
Not sure if this was already mentioned, but for summer camps, I recently finished “One S’more Summer” by Beth Merlin. It’s more than a little messy but I enjoyed it!
For return to hometown I would recommend Last First Kiss by Lia Riley.
For Summer Camp, I would recommend Lighting the Flames by SB Sarah – it is a Hannukah romance, but it is set at a summer camp.
I want to second @RenBenton on Positively Pippa – it is really great and it could also be used under the Return to Hometown category too.
For Damsel in Distress I would recommend Devil and the Deep by Julie Ann Walker – heroine hopes to meet her retired SEAL friend (whom she would like to have a romantic relationship with) on an island with a historic fort – instead, she is taken hostage by baddies. CW for childhood abuse and trauma in the backstory of one of the MC.
@RenBenton – I may not be remembering correctly, but I have the strong impression that the hero in Helenkay Dimon’s The Fixer was always sharply dressed.