Help A Bitch Out

Help a Bitch Out: Civil War Romance

Bitchery reader Cher sent me the following message – it doesn’t ring any bells with me, but I didn’t read a lot of Belle romance. Anyone who has a better talent for remembering plots and titles AND a taste for Civil War romance care to help Cher out?

Hey, I read a Romantic Novel many years ago.  The Story was based in the south, I think during the Civil war.  The heroine was a somewhat overweight useless southern belle.  Her husband became disgusted by her and left (maybe to go to war, the details are sketchy) She had to run the plantation by herself….she began to actually work and use her body and became svelt in the process, also gained some self respect and esteem.  When the husband came back he wanted her back but she was having nothing of the feckless, faithless man.
Does this book ring a bell with you two experts?  I loved it but can not remember the name of the book or the author.  I have seriously searched for YEARS for this book….any thoughts?

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  1. Erastes says:

    Good god.

    Because fat is useless and DISGUSTING (although, why did he marry such a fat disgusting cow?), and svelte is attractive and THE WIN I’m assuming?

    Erastes

  2. Gehayi says:

    somewhat overweight useless southern belle.

    Her husband became disgusted by her

    became svelte in the process, also gained some self respect and esteem.

    I couldn’t tell you what the book’s title is…but I’m so glad I never read it. God, I hate “thin is GOOD!!!” books.

  3. Sounds familiar. I know I’ve read it. Was that a Karen Robards story? Or maybe one by Deanna James?

    ~Mel

  4. L. Francesca says:

    A few guesses:

    You Belong to My Heart by Nan Ryan

    There is a series of civil war romances by Heather Graham. Might be one of those, but I’m leaning towards the Nan Ryan one.

  5. Teddypig says:

    Gone With The Waist?

  6. Charity Mullen says:

    Teddypig, you crack me up.

  7. DS says:

    Does not exactly ring a Deana James bell (or belle) with me.  She did have one that was sort of an after the HEA—the hero got restless, missed his privateering days, took off and left her with the work of running the plantation.  That was Angel’s Caress. 

    I really wish she was still writing romances instead of nonfiction.  But even a new pseudonym couldn’t revive her romance career so I must be one of the few.

  8. Chrissy says:

    Thank you, Gehayi.

    As if women with weight issues need only work out a bit.  As if character flaws like laziness are that simple to fix.

    As if being fat is equal to being useless.

    Kiss my big fat hard working ass.

  9. Tracy says:

    Chrissy~thank you LOL I needed that.  I am overweight and I work out. Seems not to be helping yet. Maybe I need to work a plantation? 😉 Luckily, my hubby is not shallow and loves my fat, working out, hard working butt!  (oh, my butt’s not the fat part though ROFLOL!!) 😉

  10. Chrissy says:

    Yah.  I finally got smart and married a man who walks right past the girls shaped like Cosmo girls but gets whiplash if Queen Latifah is on the tv.

    It’s not that I’m trying to pick on anyone but I’ve been a fat girl/woman my whole life and I think most of us can agree that the formulaic bullshit transformations that take place in bad romance novels are not only insulting, they send a terrible message.

    Bad enough wonderful writers give us full figured ladies only to have publishers put a twig on the cover anyway.

    GET THAT GIRL A DAMN SAMMICH AND SHE’LL STOP FAINTING!!!

  11. Jackie L. says:

    My husband dislikes the fact that I “allowed” myself to get fat after the babies.  But he appreciates that I popped out 10 pound healthy babies, unlike his friends’ twiggy wives, whose babes were in the hospital for days.  Something to be said for a healthy appetite.

  12. Ack!  This story sounds really familiar—I think I read it back in high school.  Was it part of a series that started with a heroine named Loedicia (or maybe I’m tripping)?  And was the heroine from *this* fitness-becomes-her book the daughter of Loedicia? 

    Maybe it was written by June Lund Shiplett?

  13. Ann says:

    I totally read this book way back when—I’m thinking some time in the late 80s.  I think it was one of the shorter Harlequin Historicals…

  14. Christina says:

    As for the insta-stick way heroines can lose weight in books like this…anyone remember Jude Deveraux’s Wishes? Even though the hero clearly liked his heroine nice and curvy, she still ended up a skinny-minnie with the help of the magic.

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