You did it! We figured this one out! It is a truth universally acknowledged (by me for certain) that the Bitchery pretty much knows everything, and really, it's true. Scroll down to see the solution for this HaBO - and many thanks!
This HaBO comes from Alison who wants to find this romance:
So, years back (2000s maybe) I came across a paperback my mom had around the house. It was a historical romance and took place in Italy. This young black-haired woman somehow ends up in this lord’s castle. I felt there were Beauty and the Beast parallels between them, though I think it was more that the lord had an intimidating reputation (and I think he was compared to a lion?) rather than having an unattractive appearance. I think he was described as blond.
The woman actually has a maid that ends up mothering her. She had a very strong fussy Italian mom vibe (which I know from having a fussy Italian grandma). And there’s a scene where she walks in on the lord where he is handling a falcon. Well, the falcon freaks out and the lord saves her from getting harmed by the bird.
Now, preteen me was really struck by this scene because in other historical romances I read at the time, the hero would yell at the heroine and blame her. This hero actually seemed concerned over her. Preteen me was keen on a not-asshole hero for once! Alas, I lost the book before I could finish it, but while the heroine seemed intimidated by the hero initially, he shows a caring side to her.
I have been thinking about this book the last few years and I really want to reread it and see what young me missed initially. I’m curious to see how that dynamic played out as it does contain catnip for me.
One of the few Italian historical romances I know of is The Devil to Pay by K.C. Bateman, but I haven’t read it, and it’s a little late for the time period.
I got all excited, my brain shaking pompoms and yelling, “FINALLY! I know a HaBO!” But, alas, the book I’m thinking of has strong paranormal elements. Still… Christine Feehan’s THE LAIR OF THE LION is a historical set in Italy. He’s got the whole mysterious beastly vibe going, and she’s an impoverished Italian beauty with a brother to rescue. And he has enemies, putting them all in danger. LotL is not attached to her Carpathian books and I remember rathering enjoying the Beauty and the Beast vibe. Heck, I may have to dig it out for a reread.
I hope someone has a better answer than me. I’d like to take a look at whatever this HaBO turns out to be.
Sounds like Lair of the Lion by Christine Feehan. It has all the beats described AND the hero and his siblings are all lion shifters.
My first thought was The Scarletti Curse, also by Christine Feehan.
I was going to suggest it was a Rexanne Becnel medieval, but I believe the bitchery is right and Feehan’s Lair of the Lion. I miss her historicals, they worked better for me than her Carpathians.
Hi,
This is the letter-writer. For the people that say it’s Lair of The Lion by Feehan. YOU’RE RIGHT.
Oh my god, this had been bothering me for ages! I’m so happy attach a title to a work I’ve been hoping to reread! Thanks everyone~
I really want to solve one of these one day…
Has there ever been a case of an author replying and saying “err, I wrote it!” Would be funny if that’s ever happened.
I really miss the Wed HABO. These are always so much fun.
OMG! I have marked off an item on my bucket list! Okay, two items–solving a HaBO and being the first to do it. My life is now almost complete. All that’s left is attending the Edinburgh Tattoo and hitting one of the best-seller lists–any of them. I’m not choosy.
Well it’s only Tuesday and it’s already been A Week so I am treating myself to this book. The Carpathian series was one of my first forays into the romance genre and I gotta say, after two books I wasn’t loving it – those heroes were big turn offs. But if nothing else, a younger me got to see what kind of behaviour she most definitely did NOT want in a partner so there’s that.
Well done on the solve, @Silver James!
@Caro my bonfire into the Carpathian series was also short lived. Only got a few chapters in before giving up. Hero was too creepy and rapey for my liking. Also Insta love/lust. Maybe it’s one of those series that gets better? Possibly,but then you spend time figuring out the backstory, not ideal in an on going series.
Bonfire? I meant venture! The book would’ve ended up on one though if it hadn’t been a library book!
Ah, the Carpathians. When the site was barely two whole months old, I wrote about the Carpathian series. I was all in on the first one, because that was…a time for paranormal intensity. But after the first one they got really repetitive. And the first one has some whoo-doggy informed consent issues.
@Kit, That happened at least once, that the author replied that they wrote the HABO book. https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2010/08/habo-fudge/ message 34.
@regencyfan93: I bow in awe to your impressive recall!
@SB Sarah those issues got way, way worse over time in the series. Like way. I tried to pick up her Torpedo Ink series but that combined everything I didn’t like about the Carpathians and added unwarned-for-petplay and extremely codependent relationships.
I really want to read this but can’t deal with consent issues in some of her books. This one is better?