bodice-ripper

Passionate historical fiction

A bodice-ripper is a romance novel featuring passionate, often historical storylines with explicit sexual content.

The term references the dramatic scenes in which a heroine's clothing gets torn in moments of desire or ravishment.

Though sometimes used dismissively to suggest formulaic plots and overwrought prose, bodice-rippers remain popular and have evolved considerably since their heyday in the 1970s and 80s.

She devoured bodice-rippers on the beach.

genre

romance

Love and its excitement

historicalOf documented times
regencySubstitute monarch's authority
victorianOf 19th-century Britain

gothic · paperback · bestseller · potboiler · fiction · pulp · mass-market · formulaic · serialized · page-turner

covers

Fabio

Mononymous male supermodel

clinchSettle beyond doubt
embraceHold closely in arms
muscularHaving well-developed sinews

gown · corset · torn · cleavage · lustful · smoldering · windswept · painted · lurid · sensational

narrative

passion

Intense emotional drive

seductionEnticing someone romantically
ravishmentBeing overcome with joy
conquestDefeating and seizing control

surrender · resistance · forbidden · scandal · secret · elopement · betrayal · intrigue · climax · tension

characters

heroine

Brave female protagonist

heroOne admired for courage
rakeTined yard implement
rogueDishonest or uncontrolled agent

duke · lord · governess · heiress · maiden · damsel · suitor · paramour · villain · aristocrat

setting

manor

Landed aristocratic residence

castleFortified medieval residence
estateProperty and grounds
ballroomVenue for formal dances

moor · carriage · boudoir · countryside · drawing-room · England · Scotland · Highlands · gaslight · candlelit

bodice-ripper

romance

Fabio

passion

heroine

manor

bodice-ripper

Opposites

Categories

Family