Romantic Fiction

The romantic novels of Johanna Lindsey often contain threats of spankings and sometimes descriptions of actual ones. I've shared the good bits from one of her books here.

I sampled two more of her novels, with less success. This is the first; the second is for another day.

Fires of Winter is about a strong-willed young woman who dresses like a man, is an expert rider and can use a sword effectively. The plot deals with her adventures with a Viking and his attempts to tame and seduce her.

The book starts out with a reference almost immediately. After falling from her horse,

Pride was more bruised than the rear end on which the rider had landed, and with a hand pressed firmly against the offending area, the [girl] continued on to the village. ...She felt as if every muscle in her lower region ached...she had been hard pressed to keep from flinching every time she moved about in Enid's cottage, but a strong will had kept the pain from showing on her delicate features.

This strong young lady was, of course, a virgin, and there was a lot of mystery and misinformation surrounding the topic of intimate relations. Our heroine, Brenna, is told by an unhappy older woman that

"you will learn that you must bear your pain in silence, else the man will beat you. 'Tis a wonder more women do not cut their throats rather than submit to such agony every night."

Enter our Viking hero. She has been captured and is now his slave, but he has his work cut out for him. He starts out well:

"Since Yarmille seems at a loss to know what to do with you, 'tis fortunate that I have come to take you in hand."

"How so?...what do you mean, you will take me in hand?"

Good question. A little later, they scuffle, and he manages to subdue her.

"Careful, wench," he warned her menacingly. "Or you will get the beating you so greatly deserve."

"So you also beat defenseless women? Is there no end to your despicable ways?"

He doesn't beat her then. A little later he tries again:

"I have tolerated much from you," Garrick said in a voice as cold as ice. "But no more. 'Tis time you learned fully what being owned entails."

"What have you in mind, Viking?"

"A sound thrashing to begin with," he said and started to approach her.

Nope. Didn't happen then either. Our Viking has met his match. He also seems to have doubts about overpowering her physically.

He should have followed his first impulse, which was to beat her. But he had been appalled at the thought of striking her...

But if he can't spank her, perhaps he can find someone who can.

"I will have you whipped, mistress," he said coldly.

"Then do it now, damn you, Viking!" she stormed. "I will not be threatened!"

"You would like that, eh?" He took her wrists and ...

Wait a minute. Is he a Canadian Viking? (In case you didn't know, Canadians stereotypically end their sentences with "eh?") But I digress. And no, he doesn't carry out his threat.

Apparently other people actually do get punished. When our heroine asks a servant to let her into a secret locked room, he refuses.

"I must not, Mistress Brenna. It would mean a whipping if the master found out."

Of course he gives in and she ultimately escapes. Our Viking discusses the matter with his father, who offers to help look for her.

"Nay, I will do this myself. She needs a lesson taught that she will not soon forget."

He finds Brenna. I knew he would. Brave to the end,

She faced him squarely, her bearing defiant. "And now, Viking?"

"Now I will take you home."

"To be punished?"

"You were warned what would happen if you chose the course. Do you think that because you warmed my bed on occasion, I would be lenient with you?"

"Nay, I did not expect that of you."

She's really begging for a spanking, don't you think? But no, it never happens. The best he can do, a few chapters on, is this:

He made as if to strike her, but instead shoved her away from him, and she fell back against the bed....His words struck her harder than his hand would have.

And there you have it. All talk and innuendo, no action. In case you may still be slightly interested, she gives up cross-dressing and they live happily ever after.