"And there's Peggy's simpering purple prose,again;not to mention a middle aged woman writing like a 12 year old. His "graying hair was softly combed back........"? "He is a man who can literally stop traffic."?"
Ha, ha, nopardons, I really did think of you when I read that "simpering purple prose," but I left it for you to point it out as I knew, hilariously, and rightly, you would.
For me, I have to say Peggy's Rush comment reminded me of what I have heard about the simpering purple prose in Halequin Romance titles (which I know about only by reading various news articles for those "worst sentence" of the year awards, etc.)
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
(Then I felt my soft hand, my writing hand, at that, reach up and comb back his softly graying hair . . . okay, STOP THE TAPE. lol lol lol)
I've never read a "bodice ripper",but like you,I have read about them. And those snippets from Peggy's column about Rush,just drip with girlish ,"dear diary",twee,simpering.