It was nice to see an older woman with a leading role, but the book was just too damn boring. I'm skimming through several romance authors to see what draws so many readers. Beatrice Small's obituary in the New York Times brought her to my attention and this was just a random pick of her 70 odd books. ( )

Darling Jasmine by Bertrice Small is a 2007 Kensington publication.

Wow! This book was certainly not what I expected and I must say I was quite shocked by the subject matter covered in this one, especially since it was originally published in 1997.

Jasmine, with the aid of her grandmother, the notorious Skye O' Malley, ran away from her fiance, Jemmie Leslie, the Earl of Glenkirk, and has been in hiding for a good while, holed up with her children from previous marriages or relationships. But, the time has come to pay the piper when Jemmie Leslie finally tracks her down. By this time Jemmie isn't sure if he loves Jasmine, hates her, or if he is simply doing his duty by carrying out the king's decree that they marry.

But, Jasmine senses that if she doesn't make amends and recapture Leslie's affections she could lose her children or be stuck in a miserable marriage. So with a little help from her meddling grandmother, Jasmine and Jemmie are left alone to sort out their differences. Can Leslie tame the wild, fiercely independent Jasmine, or is it too late to rekindle their passion?

Back in February, Bertrice Small passed away, and I was saddened to see so few remark upon her passing. This author was way ahead of her time and one of the few who refused to back down under pressure and did not neuter her back listed titles to make them more politically correct, nor did she change the way she wrote her novels, a trailblazer all the way throughout her career.

While many would chose to give the book the moniker of 'bodice ripper', it only technically falls into that category. Jemmie does not force Jasmine sexually, in fact, she is in control of the of the entire mating dance, although Jemmie is advised to sweep her way with his passions in an aggressive manner, by Skye, no less, Jasmine is quite consenting and even plans her own seduction, if you will. The only way this could be cast in the 'bodice ripper' category, comes later in the book, when a nefarious character who is into BDSM decides he wants Jasmine and plots to lure her away from Jemmie. He stalks her continuously, even when she is safely at home in Glenkirk.

The BDSM is vivid and graphic, but unlike the current trends in contemporary 'romance', this behavior is considered depraved, is not celebrated or glorified, and our darling Jasmine must be protected from this man at all cost. Since I have read many retro romances, and novels that HAVE earned the title of 'bodice ripper', I have encountered more than my fair share of controversial passages. Yet, I had never come across this subject matter in an older historical romance quite like this, and never had it actually described in such detail. While BDSM began to cross over into mainstream consciousness back in the sixties, I wonder if those reading this book for the first time in 1997, were as taken aback by it as I was. I mean, there are plenty of people today, despite the popularity of Fifty Shades, who feel very uncomfortable with this subject matter.

Jasmine was a woman, like her grandmother, who was ahead of her time, very passionate, independent, and at times naughty. Although, she and Jemmie were not into anything kinky per se, they are quite lusty, and could get rough at times, and the names they called one another in the bedroom were hardly sweet nothings or pillow talk, so they were certainly not conventional themselves. There were a few too many sex scenes in the book, and while I realize the author was all about erotica, something she built her reputation on, there weren't enough tender moments for my taste, although the couple are clearly besotted with one another.

One other thing that should be noted, is that if you decide to get into these older books, they are really a series, in the true sense of the word, meaning the stories pick up where they left off and the main character is featured in all the books in the arc, unlike today where a series simply means, the books are connected, but each one features new characters. So you will want to read these in order.

I was impressed by the boldness of the book, and liked the 'saga' quality in it, which is something we just don't see anymore. Even with the shock value, though, there were times the story lagged, but not for long.

Overall, I liked the book, the intrigue in court, the build up with Jemmie and Jasmine, the suspense, and the happy ever after. 4 stars

Note:
It is also worth noting that many of Bertrice Small's novels are in digital format, some are a part of the kindle lending library, if you have Prime, and several are in the Kindle Unlimited program if have a subscription to that service. Also, depending on your city and your library, many titles are available in digital format using the Overdrive app. ( )