Women are sometimes punished or threatened with punishment in romance novels under circumstances in which there are subtle to overt sexual overtones. Unless otherwise indicated, "he" refers to the hero and "she" refers to the heroine.

Defy Not the Heart by Johanna Lindsey (Avon Books, 1989)

• p. 129+ she insists on a clause, in their medieval marriage contract, that says he isn't permitted to beat her. He warns her, however, that nothing will prevent him from spanking her if he thinks she deserves it
• p. 336+ he sits down on the bed and orders her to raise her skirts to be spanked, telling her that "[humiliation is the foundation of this lesson."
• p. 368+ unhappy about being spanked, she tells him he is behaving barbarically. He responds that if he were to "fetch a whip" that would be barbaric. She lays down across his lap. As he raises her robe, he caresses her and she doesn't know whether to anticipate "pain or pleasure." He smacks her once and then inserts his fingers into her vagina, arousing her despite herself

Enslaved by Virginia Henley (Island Books, 1996)

• p. 85+ he orders her clothes removed, she struggles and is overpowered by servants. One threatens her with a whip. She is told that she deserves "a good flogging"
• p. 107 when she refuses to willingly sleep with him, he orders that she be put to work scrubbing floors and tells her that "One way or another, I will have you on your knees to me!"
• p. 224+ feeling that he has indulged her too much, he resolves that if she resists his advances, he’ll spank her
• p. 413+ playfully, she tells him to bring his whip to their dinner assignation. He does. On p. 416 we read: "A shaft of desire pierced his loins as he watched her fondle the flagellum." She caresses him with the whip before he takes it away from her.

Heart's Surrender by Kathleen Morgan (Pinnacle Books, 1994)

• p. 74 he promises that, once they reach his home, he is going to give her a lesson in obedience.

Pirate's Love  by Johanna Lindsey (Avon Books, 1978)

• p. 67+ she refuses to sleep with him and he threatens her with a whip. He tells her she will receive ten lashes every time she strikes him, and five lashes for "the slightest resistance"
• p. 84+ he tells her that "I will soon prove that I don't need this whip to tame you"
• p. 234 he keeps her locked in a room for three weeks

Pirate's Pleasure by Heather Graham (Dell Books, 1989)

• p. 32 he hoists her into his arms and smacks her behind when she struggles
• p. 57+ he puts her over his lap and spanks her until she begs him to stop
• p. 102 he spanks her until she apologizes for her behavior
• p. 249 she slaps him and he retaliates by grabbing her by the hair and holding her in place

Prisoner of My Desire by Johanna Lindsey (Avon Books, 1991)

• p. 152+ she is told she must address the hero as "my lord" or be whipped.

Slave of My Heart by Ann Lynn (Zebra Books, 1990)

• p. 125+ when someone tries to steal her from the hero, he tracks them down. Believing that she has tried to escape, he treats her roughly and resolves to "tame her"
• p. 243+ weeks after she has run away from him, she finds herself alone with the hero. He accuses her, in essence, of being a whore. He treats her roughly, she struggles, and he punishes her by having anal sex with her in a standing position. She screams in pain

Surrender My Love by Johanna Lindsey (Avon Books, 1994)

• as early as p. 3, we learn that one of the supporting characters met his wife when she was his slave, and that he had her whipped
• p. 129+ this same supporting character, angry with his wife who is asleep outdoors on the ground, stands on her hair until she moves and is awakened by the pain. He tells her he is going to beat her until she is unable to walk because she has disobeyed him. Later, he spanks her
• p. 127+ the hero, out of revenge, has ordered the heroine taken prisoner. We read that "[before he was through with her, she would beg for mercy"
• p. 140+ she is tied behind the wagon and made to walk miles in the heat of the day. He says she will only be allowed to ride when she nears exhaustion, and watches her, "enjoying every moment." He wraps his hand in her long braid, and yanks it to get her to obey him. He tells her he intends to enslave her, and when she declines to beg him for mercy, declares that he looks forward to crushing her pride
• p. 205+ he threatens to make her crawl, and considers the image of her on all fours, with her long hair loose, appealing
• p. 218+ he leads her down into the public hall by a chain leash, telling her she will be allowed to eat at the table beside him if she agrees to call him "master." When she declines, she's told she must sit at this feet and accept food from his hand. We read that he derives immense satisfaction from her misery, that the pleasure he feels is so intense, it's "almost sexual"

Warrior's Woman by Johanna Lindsey (Avon Books, 1990)

• p. 116+ she is punished by the hero who sexually arouses and then refuses to satisfy her. She issues him a general apology, but he says: "You must be specific, woman; thus you will remember what earned your punishment."
• p. 240+ she is punished via unsatisfied sexual arousal but also by being forced to feed the hero who has forbidden her to eat anything. She says she would prefer to be beaten and he spanks her. He tells her: "Before the next rising, you will swear to obey all rules. You will not only beg for mercy, you will cry."

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