What controversial historicals have you read and why were they controversial.  My list:

The Lover -- spinster hires a male prostitute, sexual torture

Gabriel's Woman - male prostitution, male on male rape

Shadowheart - Sex with S&M overtones & intial sex scene is little more than rape.

The Raven Prince - Woman masquerades as a prostitute in order to have "anonymous" sex with her employer.

The Leopard Prince - Lady from the nobility class falls in love with her land steward servant and is impregnated (very scandalous in those days).

I don't think I have ever read one like that.  It would be disturbing.

"The Outsider" Penelope Williamson

WIdowed Amish woman finds a wounded outlaw on her property and nurses him back to health in her home,which causes alot of conflict within her community. She falls in love with him and is caught having sex with him by another Amish woman which causes a huge scandal. It's a long read, but a very good book.

wow! sounds like you found some pretty powerful stuff! I've read some disturbing stuff but that was in stuff marked 'erotica' or that mentioned that it might deal with something close to what happened but turned out to be pretty much more than I bargained for...

I read one a looong time ago by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, "The Flame and the Flower". Hero rapes the Heroine near the beginning and then they have to get married because she's pregnant. He treats her like crap for a long time because he feels that she 'trapped' him into marriage. What an idiot!!! I haven't been able to read another one of hers since.

I guess mine would be "Prisoner of My Desire" by Johanna Lindsey, because the heroine rapes the hero (by the strict definition of sex forced on him against his will, if not his body) to get pregnant, and then he does the same to her (once again, her body wants it but not her heart and mind) multiple times.

I liked it because they were able to overcome all this and fall in love in a gradual, believeable way.  And given the time period, 12th century, these actions are not really out of the norm.

It's a keeper for me,

Katrina

Prisoner of My Desire is one of my favorites. It is a Keeper for me too!

I read one a few years ago  that really disturbed me. So much that I must have blocked the author & title! LOL  It's a regency period Historical.  The heroine gets kidnapped by a demented Lord who has imprisoned women in a cellar in his home and cuts and rapes them, getting off on the blood. When the hero finally rescues her, they also free the woman who've been tortured by him and they slowly torture him to death.     It was scary and I surprised myself finishing it.  The writing was good.  Anybody remember this?

Wow, that sounds really intense.  I haven't read it, but I'm curious to know what it is, Mary.

Right now the book that is dwelling most on my mind is Shadowheart by Laura Kinsale.  I think I found it disturbing because it didn't follow the current trend right now of bondage followed by really hot sex.  It wasn't a way to titillate the character or the reader.  It felt like the characters really took it seriously in a way that disturbed me.  In fact, I think I cried while reading it.  It felt like Allegreto (the hero) was teetering on the edge of sanity and the heroine was going to both push him over and keep him sane.  A very difficult book for me to read.

I really don't like books with rape in them.  I think seductions where the body is willing but the mind is not are okay, but they need to stop pretty quickly in the book.  Luckily, the modern trend is to NOT have the hero rape the heroine.  It's just when you read some of the older books that you can run into it.  Unfortunately, it's not like those books say "rape enclosed" on the cover so you can avoid it.

Mary, it was "Say You Love Me by Johanna Lindsey"  I loved the book but I also found that part very disturbing.

I was also disturbed by "A Pirates Love by Johanna Lindsey".  He repeatedly rapes her but she falls in love with him anyway.  I usually love her books but this one left a bad taste in my mouth.

Say You Love Me is one of Johanna Lindsey's Mallory Books. You can't go wrong reading one of the books about this family. I agree that it was kind of hard reading that part in this book. It was still a very good book!

There were parts in Outlander that were a little hard to read. I still didn't want to put it down. It was hard to read because by the time I got to Jamie's rape  I was already in love with his Character. If you haven't started Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series it is a must read!!!!

I also found Shadowheart intense and disturbing, but ultimately liked it.  The sex started off violent (didn't particularly like the rape scene) but it got less violent and more loving as the relationship progressed.  Liked it so much that now I want to read For My Lady's Heart and see what Alegreto was like as a young man.  He's so tortured.  The queen and prisoner game they played was pretty intense I'll admit and it did seem like she was in danger of pushing him over the edge, but she didn't.  Curious how this game played out later on in real life when she imprisoned him.  The sex wasn't as repellent as I thougt it would be, due to being so well written.  Don't usually like sub/dom or bondage / S&M though.  I think that what made it controversial is that the woman, Elena, was the dominant and even slightly sadistic one. 

Shadowheart made me cry too.  When she was going to leave him and read the ring engraving "Here is my heart, guard it well," I sobbed hysterically.  Also at the end.  It was almost too intense for me.

Thanks Barbara, that was definately it.  Funny I couldn't remember anything about the hero/heroine releationship til I looked it up on a couple of review sites.  And none of the reviews mention how disturbing that scene was. Was it just me?

I am sooo surprised no one said anything about Ann Rice's erotic books...she goes under a diff. name,  A. N. Roquelaure..but the series is:

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty's Punishment, & Beauty's Release

My sister said if I like good romance novels to read this one.  I thought it would be a cute sexy story about Sleeping Beauty with some good sex parts in it...and deff. wasn't prepared for some these sort  contents that where in it.  I just have a problem with animals, fruit, people and sex.  I don't find that sexy at all.  There was just a lot of "off" things in these books.  Def. a little disturbing!!

I forgot about that part in Say You Love Me, It's been so long dsince I read it. It was a good book, though. I am still debating on whether or not to read A Pirate's Love, I have it on my TBR. If there are repeated rapes in it, I don't think I can read it.

Eileen, A Pirate's Love has repeated rape's in it but, as usual, her body says something different.  The sex was termed "rape" too many times for my liking.  You know the saying...if it walks like a duck, etc...

Misty- I just finished The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty and it knocked me over-bigtime with the submission/humiliation theme! I wasn't expecting that at all! Now I just have to find out what happens in the dreaded village and if she hooks up with Prince Alexi again....lol

Rose, Let me tell you Ann Rice sure knows how to keep her readers on the edge...you don't really want to read more, but can't resist!! Is gets worst though. in the 2nd book and 3rd..I promise...I keep wanting to put it down...but in that sick twisted way I kept wondering what else she was going to put in there....I will never forget those books for sure....never ready anymore like them either...

Misty, I went and hit that 'Buy It New' button for Beauty's Punishment. I'm 14 on WL and have no patience- it is a little sick and twisted(but fun)!

Rose-

Hahaha!! I did that with a Georgina Gentry Book...Cheyenne Captive...I just received it a couple days ago!! Sfter waiting months for it...I had to buy it.   I am hoping to collect all her books!! There is a lady on here who I bought 6 books from of hers.  I don't even know which ones..:) 

Ann Rice erotic books are def. good... a little sick and twisted, but still good.

Misty-

I ordered it used from someone right here where I live (MA), so it should be here soon! I'm always looking for new authors- I've never heard of Gentry- is she all westerns?

I tried Ann Rice's Belinda a few years ago. Didn't care for it at all- she did much better with Beauty!

eta- my wishlist request for ' The Lover' finally came up- now i can't wait for it to get here! Really enjoy Robin Schone's stuff- recently read her short story in the 'Captivated' anthology . Excellent and extremely hot!

Thank you, Barbara, I think I'm gonna pass on that one. I hate it when books pi** me off, and that sounds like it would. There was another book of Johanna Lindsey's that did, ummm...oh yeah, 'Paradise Wild'. That's questionable as well...he marrys her to get revenge at her father and he's the biggest jer on the face of the earth.

Yes, Laura Kinsale's books are ALL disturbing, I think.  My father went through a stroke about the time I read Flowers in the Storm.  The way the hero is considered insane because he also suffered a stroke brought home to me how lucky I am to live now instead of in the 1800s when medicine had no idea about injuries like strokes.  The disturbing part was how he abducted the heroine and tricked her into getting married.  I was never convinced about her commitment to him.  And he seemed like he was choosing the only person left on earth who even liked him, which is a pretty poor reason for marriage IMHO.

Pat

I had a stroke last year due to a tear in my cartoid (most common type for younger adults) and I ordered Flowers from the Storm.  Hope it's not too upsetting for me. 

Rose, I loved Robin Schone's newest book--Scandalous Lovers--which is even more enjoyable because it's based on a true story.  Schone's an interesting writer.

Pat