While doing research about heroines, romance novels, who identifies with whom, and what exactly is the attraction to some of these absolute dimwits who populate old skool romance (I still haven’t answered that question to my own satisfaction), I’ve had to go back at my old and dusty keeper shelf and look at some of my favorite heroines from romances in the past 20 years.
I started reading romance that wasn’t breast-grabbing Sweet Valley Highs in 1992, and my introduction was Midsummer Magic, a book that still occupies a very special, creamy place in my heart (ok, ew, sorry, I couldn’t resist). But since digging in the depths of my bookshelf, I’ve come up with a few other heroines in the Frances mold that I just love revisiting.
The Lion’s Lady by Julie Garwood features one of my very faves, “Princess” Christina, a white woman with blonde hair and striking blue eyes (of course) who is raised by the Dakota and brought to England to make her debut. Because what does any self-respecting white girl raised by Native Americans need? A marquess, duh. One who is just as dangerous and out of bounds of society as she could be, were her past made known to all the snobby, snooty ton. I love her dialogue with Lyon, I love the fact that she munches on shrubs, and I love that she hides who she is but never once thinks she’d be better off if she’d never been raised by her Dakota family. She thinks most of English social customs are nuts. She kicks ass and has no problems about her ability to do so, though she knows she has to hide her talents. I only wish the period of time when Lyon and Christina verbally sparred with one another lasted longer, because their relationship was resolved so quickly in the course of the story that the only obstacle to their happiness was an external villain, and as much as I was ready for him to have his ass handed to him on the sharper end of a spear, I loved the conflict between Lyon and Christina more.
And speaking of kicking ass in a complete different way, Honoria Anstruther-Weatherby from Stephanie Laurens’ Devil’s Bride, oh how I love you, despite the man-jawed nightgown-wearing weirdness that is allegedly you pictured on the back of my very old copy (also, worst hair for a hero, ever. Ev-er). I sat on the floor in front of my bookshelf and read the opening third of this book, and an hour disappeared before I knew I’d spent it re-reading. Honoria is upper class and almost snobby about it at times, and determined to embrace her independence in a way that’s historically possible but still shocking (she wants to go to Egypt in the shadow of Hester Stanhope) at the time, but despite all that I really, really love how Honoria shines in ways that are entirely, utterly appropriate, and yet fascinating. She’s good at running huge estates, managing guests, making people feel at home, and telling that giant autocrat Devil where to get off. She’s innocent and yet fearless, and, my favorite part, level headed. She’s capable and longs for adventure of some sort. She kicks ass within the assigned boundaries of her class and her gender, and yet stands out because she’s so strong willed and confident in herself.
I love me some completely impossible heroines in historically plausible settings, especially the ways in which these women shine in that setting. I often wonder if the alpha heroine of the current urban-fantasy, ghost-hunting, vampire-slaying, lycan-shaving, mummy-unwrapping novels has some distant fringe roots in these types of historical heroines, who were ass kicking within the boundaries historically ascribed to them. It’s not like Christina wanted to be a dentist, or Honoria wanted to open a printing press. Ok, well, Honoria did want to go sail into Egypt all by her onesies but even as she pays lip service to her demands for excitement, she demonstrates through the plot how competent she is at the not-insignificant responsibilities expected of women at that time. That part just fascinates me. I could easily be assigning too much significance to heroines I love like damn and luggage, but Christina, Honoria, and heroines like them are unique in ways that never manage to grate on my nerves overly much.
What about you – who are your favorite heroines from Days of Yore?
If we’re talking Old School, then I need to jump in the Way Back Machine with my pal Mr. Peabody and pimp for my very first “adult” romance, Ashes in the Wind by Kathleen Woodiwiss. Alaina made Cole work for it and how. Oh, and what about Shanna? Sexxing up Ruark just ‘cause she had to have it. Ah, the old days.
Some of my favorite contemporary heroines from Days of Yore are either La Nora creations (Adrianne from Sweet Revenge, Whitney from Hot Ice, for example) or Elizabeth Lowell (Lindsay from Tell Me No Lies, Lianne from Jade Island.) Smart, capable women with style.
Lorelei: Thank you! I couldn’t remember the author. I think I read The Duchess a million times and I loved how much it left behind the typical attractive-but-impoverished-young-woman-marries-duke storyline. Even the weird-castle setting was odd and unique – no glittering society balls. I think Claire was the archetypal heroine who is not particularly physically attractive, but makes up for it in wit and intellectual curiosity. I don’t think I’d want to be her, but I’d want to be her best friend.
My first post coming out of lurkdom, yay!
I’ve been reading romances since I was 10 or 11, but I haven’t read very many because I only had my mom’s to read, and she wasn’t a big fan (shocking, I know). But I do have a few I like:
Laren from Catherine Coulter’s Lord of Raven’s Peak. My first Coulter, and still my favorite. Kidnapped and sold into slavery w/her baby bro, keeping him alive, disguising as a boy, becoming a storyteller, killing the would be murderer of her husband, among many other things; she takes charge and never backs down, and she can cook.
Dr. Jane Darlington Bonner from SEP’s Nobody’s Baby but Mine. She was the first contemporary heroines I came across (also the first and only that was a physicist), and she is still one of the best, especially after the lucky charms incident. Funny, smart, and doesn’t take any bluster from the Hero.
Oh, Joy—Alinor was a raging bitch who nearly put me off the entire romance genre for life. I don’t care how fiery and tempestuous you are, babe—pull a knife on a guy while he’s having a perfectly reasonable discussion and we’re done.
But yes to Amelia Peabody. The last half dozen or so Peters books haven’t been very good, but I just keep coming back for more Amelia.
Ooh! I liked Clare from “The Duchess,” too. I still love Jude Deveraux.
Emalie from Leona Blair’s “Privilege”
And while this isn’t romance, I loved Mercedes Lackey’s Diana Tregarde!
Wow, I love Roselynde (I have a thing for Simon), and Alinor is a close second even though I hated that it was only possible because Simon was dead. I’ve read these too many times to count, but I don’t remember the knife scene at all, which just shows you that we all notice different things (i.e. read different books through the lens of our own experiences). I’m off to re-read. 🙂
So glad someone mentioned Ashes in the Wind. One of my fave heroines, heroes, and stories. Also add Petals on the River to that one.
And hooray to the Johanna Lindsey—> Heroes though, not so much the women. I adore and wish I could marry (or at least get tutored in the ways of rakish gentleman pirate sex by) James Malory. Or Anthony Malory. Or both… 🙂
And SEP’s heroines, I enjoy almost all of them.
My first post here—greetings all. I’ve been lurking for several weeks, and while I seldom read straight romances any more I do have a few favorite heroines: Sophy from The Grand Sophy, Eustacie De Vauban and Sarah Thane from The Talisman Ring (also by Heyer) Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody and Nefret Forth, and (bonus points if you’ve heard of this author) Charmian Brown aka Sophia Sefton from The Broad Highway by Jeffery Farnol. I’m also currently working my way through the Classic To End All Classics: Kathleen Winsor’s Forever Amber. While I don’t particularly like Amber herself—she’s shallow, self-absorbed, materialistic, and frankly, dumb as a box of rocks—her outlook is entirely appropriate for a woman of the Restoration, and the supporting characters and historical detail are fascinating. Has anyone else here read this? I’d ber interested to read your comments. Love this site, by the way.There’s always something here to put me in a good mood!
Welcome, Elizabeth! I read Forever Amber many, many years ago (Heck, I even read Anthony Adverse and that was a slog!) but I don’t think FA would stand up well against today’s romance novels. As you say, too many problems with the heroine. I like Fanny Hill better for a story of a strong woman surviving in a man’s world.
Just finished reading The Last Hellion by Loretta Chase. I absolutely LOVED Lydia. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting because I a little disappointed by Lord of Scoundrels…. But I couldn’t put this book down.
I have been thinking about this since the original post… So many I agree with… and goodness, I haven’t thought about Forever Amber for, well, forever! Thinking back to my late grade school days, after I graduated from fairy tales and started on my mom’s collections of Dumas, du Maurais (Frenchman’s Creek, Uris, Stone, etc. the ones I read over and over were Seyton’s Katherine and Jubilee Trail (sorry, I don’t recall the author and it is still in a box… but John and Garnet – SIGH). Both had elements of what I love in my romances— adventure, characters with spunk, romance, new trivia to share, and interesting backgrounds.
Yes to the Mallory Men! (Or should that be yes, again and again, and again?) Woodiwiss as well. I’m glad Garwood has returned to historic romance. I have recently found the Liar’s Club series by Bradley and have enjoyed everyone. If you haven’t read these, they are Napoleonic spy thrillers with very determined heroines. I liked the heroine in Bourne’s The Spymaster’s Lady. Some very nice twists. I keep hoping Quinn will write Violet’s story. She should not just fade away. Amelia Peabody is a terrific character. She and I would go head to head and both come out battered! JD Robb is usually a much better writer that NR and I enjoy Dallas. Quinn/Laurens/Alexander fand(the lighter crowd) should be reading Lauren Willig. I loved Amanda Scott’s Templar series, but more for the history/cultural information than the heroines (feisty though they be…).
I’m afraid this one is still in a box, but Lindsey has an old medieval standalone Prisoner of Desire (may be off on the title) that I am ashamed to admit I adore. It is a good old captive/slave setup but I really like the heroine. First, the virginal girl has to rape the hero. Then, he has to have his revenge. Then, they fall in love. Then, there are trust issues. Then, they fight. Then, they split. Then, after enough penitence, they get back together. However, she is a survivor and prideful, but not above spite, stubbornness, etc. I could really see myself reacting in some of the same less than mature ways that plague the main characters.
Final Thought – Wall-E is the best romance movie in years!
OK, if anyone on here can help me it would be greatly appreciated…I am looking for a specific book when I dont remember the name or author. It was a flashback historical romance and the main characters were named Tallas and Callie and I think the other modern day heroine was named Dani or Danielle but I cant remember exactly, I just remember that it was, ironically, the best book I’ve ever read story-wise! Please Help!
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Favorite heroines? Where do I begin…
First and foremost is Anne Elliot of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. I want to be her when I grow up (I’m 50 now, so the chances of this happening get slimmer by the day 😉 ). I think she’s just wonderful.
After that? Sarah Thane from Heyer’s The Talisman Ring (I’d first read the book when I was 10 and thought that Eustacie was the heroine until one day it hit me that this is really Sarah’s book); Elinor Dashwood from Austen’s Sense & Sensiblity; Penelope Featherington from Quinn’s Romancing Mr. Bridgerton and Nell Stornaway from Heyer’s The Toll-Gate.
And that’s just off the top of my head. I’m sure that, if I took the time to think about it, I’d come up with a couple more. But I won’t bore you all with my ruminations.
Probably Judith from The Velvet Promise.
As a side, Julie Garwood was the first novelist I read, and no sooner had I put down Honor’s Splendor I went out and bought every book she’d written.
To this day I’m an avid follower, I even enjoy her more modern books.
The Bridgertons are a nice entertainment, but when I want some serious romance I reach for the Boscastle books by Jillian Hunter. Those cheesy headlines (The Devlish Pleasures of a Duke) hide a fantastic story and some seriously steamy bedroom (or library, linen closet, underground cave) moments.