Purity's Ecstasy (Purity, #2) in Bodice Ripper Readers Anonymous

Jun 09, 2011 Wendy, Lady Evelyn Quince rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-romance, read-in-2010s, romance, 3-stars-and-a-half, bodice-ripper, author-pseudonym, hero-is-not-christopher-columbus, favorite-bodice-rippers, reviewed, own

Since I seem to be getting my romance-reading mojo back, I'm trying to add more reviews to my Goodreads account. This review for "Purity's Ecstasy" is stitched together from old updates.

Like many other late 1970's-early 1980's bodice rippers, Michael Butterworth's (aka Janette Seymour) 2nd entry into his Purity trilogy is a tawdry, rollicking ride filled with just about every 'ripper trope and then some.

In the first book, Purity's Passion, after beautiful Purity survived the French Revolution Since I seem to be getting my romance-reading mojo back, I'm trying to add more reviews to my Goodreads account. This review for "Purity's Ecstasy" is stitched together from old updates.

Like many other late 1970's-early 1980's bodice rippers, Michael Butterworth's (aka Janette Seymour) 2nd entry into his Purity trilogy is a tawdry, rollicking ride filled with just about every 'ripper trope and then some.

In the first book, Purity's Passion, after beautiful Purity survived the French Revolution, she was made the ward of the enigmatic and barely-there Mark Landless, with whom she fell madly in love, and had numerous obstacles to overcome before getting her man (namely other men). The same is more or less the case with this sequel, as Mark is presumed dead after being captured by pirates. Purity knows in her heart Mark is still alive and she will do ~~whatever~~ whomever she has to do to find him. Alas, after being kicked out into the streets by cruel in-laws, Purity has to search for employment. In her own words her "youth and beauty were her sole assets on Earth" so what's a girl to do? Put those assets to work!

And...Oh..my...God... Not even halfway through this romp, there were more trashy elements than the previous five 'rippers I'd read combined: lots of kidnapping, lots rape-and/or-forced seduction, a female pirate, regular pirates, eunuchs, male virgins, lesbian orgies, multi-racial gang-bangs, whippings, bigamy, amnesia...and yet, it was so tastefully done. Nary a peep of manhoods, members or dewy petals, a lot of euphemisms, yet still plenty of titillation to be found.

Finally, Purity is thrown into the ravishing clutches of the evil pirate/slave-trader called El Diablo, The Devil, who hides a shocking, true identity. But no naughty escapades and no thrilling, charismatic villains will ever prevent Purity from being with her boring, bland, zero-personality-having soulmate!

This book was, for the most part, an entertaining romp, but a romance it was not. I never read book #3 in the series, but one can assume more of the same as Purity is separated from her beloved and has to use her gold-plated poon as currency to get back to Mark...just like she always does.

3 1/2 stars ...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Elle rated it did not like it

Let's just say this really is more of the same as with Purity's Passion, only this time much of the "action" takes place in harems. More Mark Landless (he really should've been called Loveless) abandonment, more rapes and situations where the heroine has sex without being aware (this time it's drugs rather than hypnotism). And I actually figured out who the bad guy was almost the first time he opened his mouth, for some reason, though the author did do a fair job of dragging a red herring across ...more

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