Good Shit vs. Shit to Avoid time! I had an interesting email (many of them are, thank you, thank you) about books featuring the heroine who is surprised by a relationship – and by someone’s interest in her:
I’m looking for a book where the heroine is genuinely not interested
(romantically) in the hero. I know, I know, it’s supposed to be a romance
novel, but lately I’ve lately been reading books and watching dramas
(asian tv) where the heroine with zero pride will throw herself at the guy.
She usually goes through great humbling lengths and all of her friends,
family, the hero, and sometimes the whole town watch her “antics” to get
her man. I just think it’s sad that the heroine:1. Has nothing else going on for herself like family, friends, hobbies or
work (if contemporary)2. Dismisses other guys around her who might like her and may be worthy of
her because everyone else not HIM. Not even kisses or dates!3. Usually watches her hero date or pursue other girls while she is eaten up
with jealousy.4. She doesn’t get her man until the END of the story and I just have to
be with her through all her suffering and IMHO wasting a healthy libido!I want to see a hero who knows early on that he lurves her and does
everything in his power to make her love him back. My favorite books with
this type of H/H is Uncommon Vows, Midsummer Moon, Lucy Sullivan is Getting
Married, and Ravished. I love that Merlin is too preoccupied with her
experiments to fuss with a man.
One that comes to my mind is The Kiss Test by
Shannon McKelden. The heroine in that book is trying to get over a breakup, and takes a road trip with her best friend, Chris, who has a lot of *ahem* experience in the hookup department, and not phone hookups, either.
So what books do you know that feature a determined hero, and a heroine who is oblivious, confused, utterly clueless or unexpectedly hit over the head with the anvil of love? If the pining is on the heroic end, do you enjoy the story?
