The Gothic Romance Wave


Book Description

The late 1960s and early 1970s saw the birth of modern feminism, the sexual revolution, and strong growth in the mass-market publishing industry. Women made up a large part of the book market, and Gothic fiction became a higher popular staple. Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart and Phyllis Whitney emerged as prominent authors, while the standardized paperback Gothic sold in the millions. Pitched at middle-class women of all ages, Gothics paved the way for contemporary fiction categories such as urban fantasy, paranormal romance and vampire erotica. Though not as popular today as they once were, Gothic paperbacks retain a cult following--and the books themselves have become collectors' items. They were also the first popular novels to present strong heroines as agents of liberation and transformation. This work offers the missing chapters of the Gothic story, from the imaginative creations of Ann Radcliffe and the Bronte sisters to the bestseller 50 Shades of Grey.




The 5Th Crimson Rose


Book Description

Seventeen-year-old Shannon Baker is the only one left to care for her feisty but ailing grandmother, Gladys. Medicare covers only so much, and Shannons job at Knotts Berry Farm barely helps. Even with the support of her best friend, Jessie, and the attention of her new lab partner, Sean, the situation looks grim. Then she meets Derek Knight. Hes more domineering than Sean, but he seems to be concerned about her well-being, while Sean has pulled away. Hesitant at first, Shannon finally warms to the idea of Derek. He promises to pay her bills and take care of her and Gladys if shell swear loyalty to him. Its a welcome change until Derek becomes too possessive, and Shannons suspicions about Derek and his fathers hotel heighten, while Shannon is haunted by a poem her mother wrote before she died. Now trapped in an elite gang, Shannon finds herself in the middle of a drug deal gone very wrong. She wants out. A mysterious, tuxedoed man might be the answer to her problems, but the price may be too high.




The Captured Bride of Aspenwood


Book Description

An evocative tale of romantic suspense from the author of The Widowed Bride of Raven Oaks. Elizabeth is thrilled to put her baking skills to work during the tourist season in Cripple Creek, Colorado--until she learns she'll be staying at frightening Aspenwood Abbey. And her worry turns to fear when she finds her pillow blood-smeared--a warning for her to leave.




The Precious Pearls of Cabot Hall


Book Description

Peggy Darty's latest endeavor promises to keep up her tradition of chilling stories of romantic suspense that make her so popular in the genre. Kathleen O'Malley takes a job as a writer's assistant to a famous, but reclusive, novelist and discovers a plot in the mysterious old house far stranger than fiction.







The Star Chamber


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What Do I Read Next?


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