About three, or four weeks ago a lady on the Amazon Romance community was looking for a book, and to the best of my recollection, this is how she described the plot:  it was an older historical romance, and the heroine was a virgin widow, because her dead husband was gay and didn't, um, do the right thing by her.   (She wasn't allowed to show him she was a female if you get my drift)  And I guess the heroine finds out from the hero how to make love. 

I can't find her post and didn't track it (silly me) so I don't know if this search was solved; actually I'd like to know the title/author myself and I was wondering if this book sounded familiar to anyone here.  

Thank you all...  

Possibly A Woman of Virtue by Liz Carlyle?

"In the lonely months since her husband's death, Cecilia Lorimer has hidden her emptiness by devoting herself to a charity mission for the unfortunate women of London's slums. But when the dashing Lord Delacourt takes control, she feels an uncharacteristic urge to flee. Just six years earlier, Delacourt had proven himself to be the immoral rake society called him, nearly ruining her reputation in the bargain.

It's whispered that the womanizing Delacourt is vain, vindictive, and merciless. But he's a man who honors his wagers -- and one result lands him in his brother-in-law's godforsaken mission, face-to-face with the woman who has long haunted his dreams. When treachery closes in, only he knows how to guard Cecilia from the consequences of her own principles. Can a profligate knave persuade a virtuous woman that he is worthy of her trust -- and her love?"

Colleen

Was it a really older hist/rom? Some years ago I read my last Shirlee Busbee and the heroine's husband was gay. I wish I could remember the title. I'll have to check around the sites and post it if I find out.

Gail

Oops. I forgot about the gay thing. In Woman of Virtue, her husband was older and she was just 'arm candy.' So this must not be the story.

As for older. I guess that's a relative thing. This book was published in 2001. Probably not old enough.

Colleen

Notorious by Katherine Sutcliffe, maybe?  There are more, btw.  Virgin widow plots exist in miraculous abundance:P  Gay husbands, less so, but I know I've read others - I'll just have to do some looking to see if I can find them all.

I never read this book - so I'm not sure exactly how old it is.   My impression, from when I read the original search post in Amazon's romance community (which I can't find now) -- is that the book was an older book.   I thought it might have been written even in the '70's or '80's, because of the theme - gay husband who can't perform except in ONE way with the heroine.   So, she never knew what regular sexual relations were, until she meets the hero.    Sound kind of graphic - like an older romance would be.     But, I don't know for sure.

By the way, I've read that Shirley Busbee book - I think it's Deceive Not My Heart? and it's not this book - in the Busbee book, the gay husband is actually very sweet & gentle to his wife & doesn't hurt her - and in this other book, the husband is brutal to his wife (or so my impression was).    I really wish I could find the original post for more details.      

I was thinking - it might not even be totally a virgin/widow theme - Maybe the husband is still around for a part of the book.   I don't remember if the original post mentioned that she was a widow.    But I *think* so.  I know she didn't remember character names, etc.   Just the gay husband & the way he treated the heroine.   And I *think* it was a medieval.  

Okay, Susan, now you've thrown us a curve... A medieval? Not a regency?

And I'm assuming the "ONE" way she had sex with her husband was her performing fellatio on him... Definitely not a book I've read. I'd have remembered that one.

Colleen

From what I remember from the original search:   the heroine couldn't show the gay husband her, um, front.   It was all done the other way.  (I feel very embarrassed writing this!!)    This is why I thought the book might be an older book, because she was pretty graphic about the way the heroine & gay husband had relations.  I guess the thing that stuck with the original searcher was the heroine's learning from the hero about the regular way.  Also why I thought it was "probably" medieval.   I can't quite remember if the searcher said it had knights & castles, but that was the impression I have.   But I don't know, it could certainly have been another time period.              

So not a virgin widow then, but an "unawakened heroine" book.  Well, I've read a gazillion of those with brutal first husbands, some with homosexual tendencies, but nothing is popping into my head right at the moment - medieval or otherwise.  An old Julie Garwood maybe?  Wish I could be of more help, but there's not much to go on.

Could the book possibly be Saving Grace by Julie Garwood.  Heroine was a widow and was treated horribly by her late husband as I remember.  He hero was wonderful.  Description follows:

Set in 13th-century England and Scotland, this rollicking adventure is among Garwood's ( The Bride ) most enjoyable. The news that her despicable husband is dead has left beautiful 16-year-old Lady Johanna both wealthy and available. Wicked King John wants to marry her to one of his henchmen, but her beloved foster brother convinces the powerful highland laird Gabriel MacBain to put aside his natural repugnance for all things English and wed the girl. Emotionally scarred by her first marriage, Johanna is intimidated both by her strange surroundings and by the outsized, gruff laird; but with the help of an eccentric old soldier and MacBain's illegitimate son, Johanna learns to hold her own with the soldiers, their wives and her new husband. Then an unwelcome surprise tests her newfound courage. Garwood endows the novel with a first-rate setting, a splendid supporting cast and witty dialogue that more than offsets the rote predictability of Johanna's great beauty and MacBain's forceful charisma.

It might be a stretch but runs along a similar theme.  I read it but honestly can't remember if he was gay or just deranged!

Nancy

Virgin widow plots exist in miraculous abundance:P      
LOL, Kim.  

Susan,    Was this really a Historical romance or a Historical erotica story?  Sounds like the backdoor stuff is pretty toward the erotica end of things, so to speak.

I remember the original Amazon thread and the mystery was never solved because the original poster never got back to answer the suggestion that this might be THE FIRE AND THE FURY by Anita Mills. The Mills bk is the only possible suggestion that was ever proposed as far as I can concerned.

Someone on the AAR boards suggested ENCHANTRESS by Bertrice Small. I have read that bk and am pretty sure that's not it.

Okay, now I gotta pull out my copy of the Fire and the Fury by Anita Mills.  Read the whole Fire series awhile ago and loved it.  They are keepers for me.  Thought they were great medievals.  But, honestly, don't remember that type of thing in those books.  But I do have a menopausal mind--so will check!

I had that series at one time & never got around to reading them.  Figures...

I've read the Anita Mills series & don't remember that kind of thing either - but like other readers, it's been awhile since I read them.   From the way the O/P described the gay husband/sex act, it doesn't seem like the kind of thing she'd have in her books, though.   Bertice Small, yes I could see it in one of her books!   Or maybe even Virginia Henley.    But I'd bet (if it is an older historical) it's probably by a more obscure author.    Who knows, it could be an erotica.   I would still put my money on an older historical title.   Some from the '70's/'80's were pretty damn raunchy.

Too bad the original poster never checked back on the post.    I don't know when she read it; that would help...

I found a similar or same request on romantictimes.com in the book sleuth forum 'gay husband' and still nada there either. gosh sounds interesting and I have Saving Grace so maybe I'll give that a try pretty soon..must be good 'cause I've picked the book up several times and had even acquired more than one copy LOL! I really enjoyed the other 3 Garwood titles I read a while back..

I've read SO many medievals with a heroine who was abused by a former husband, all of them kinda blur into one book & I can't rememer, without reading some reviews or something, what was what:P  I was trying to remember who wrote the less than memorable medievals I've read, and I recall some Claire Delacroix, but I don't know if anything falls into this category, some Gayle Callen, Tara O'Dell, Virginia Henley, Tina St. John, Catherine Coulter & Julie Garwood, Lynn Kurland, but nothing she writes is very graphic, Kinley MacGregor, blah-blah-blah...  Jo Beverley wrote some medievals too, what were they?  I remember Lord of My Heart - pretty positive that's not it - and Dark Champion.  Maybe check that one because I don't remember the premise at all:P

I believe this is the original thread http://www.amazon.com/tag/romance/forum/ref=cm_cd_search_res_ti?_encoding=UTF8&cdMsgNo=3&cdPage=1&cdSort=oldest&cdThread=Tx1T8786QS7K9A&cdMsgID=Mx20UX3BLPN7Q20#Mx20UX3BLPN7Q20

The book sound familar, but I just can't place it. I wonder if it would be listed under the May/December theme on RT. I believe there's also a virgin heroine theme there also. I'll go and check it out.

Its none of the Jobev medievals. She would never have a historical that reference anal sex.

Maybe this book? It seems that the heroine is 16 at the time of the marriage.

Night Fire by Catherine Coulter

First in the series of her best-selling Night trilogy comes Night Fire, Catherine Coulter's sensuous new romance. Here is the provocative story of a woman held captive by her lover, so that she may experience the beauty and unbridled passion of true love.
From the moment Arielle Leslie, an innocent, 19th-century beauty, is sold into a loveless marriage by her unscrupulous stepbrother, her serene world is completely shattered.
Tortured and sexually abused, she fears there is no escape from her brutal, insane husband-until, by chance, she is widowed.
But, even after his death, Arielle is unable to free herself from the shackles of humiliation. Until she meets Burke Drummond-the kind, handsome Earl of Ravensworth and charming hero of her youth.
Only Burke can mend the scars of her violent past...if Arielle will just give him a chance to prove his undying love for her.
But as Burke's passion blazes, his patience wears think...and Arielle fears a future as terrifying as her past...

its not NIGHFIRE either. The hubby wasnt gay.

Ok, after reading that thread, I would definitely look into Bertrice Small.  This sounds VERY old skool bodice-rippery, and I'm willing to bet it's going to be a hard one to figure out.

could be Small..I remember reading along enjoying the nookie in one of hers and one fo the minor characters getting in on screamed 'oh uncle' and I about got sick...shudder...and dangit that was a pretty hot scene too

Amber:  Thank you for finding that original Amazon thread!!   It was over a month ago, no wonder I couldn't remember it clearly. 

Now the O/P mentions "warrior" - THAT was what made me think possible old-time medieval-historical, along with the sex thing... and the fact that she said she read it 20 years ago!    I knew my brain wasn't entirely mush.  :)

And I had the Busbee title wrong, it was WHILE PASSION SLEEPS - that's the only book I ever read with a gay husband.