Rather than receiving a request for this, the concept of awesome female friendships in romance came up while Sarah and I were talking about god knows what. But it spawned an idea of doing a Rec League on romances or books with strong romantic elements that have strong, healthy female friendships.
I know, personally, I’ll grade a book lower if the heroine is the only “good” woman in the book and the rest of the women introduced only serve as competition for the hero’s love. I totally hate the bitchy, over-sexualized female character who will stop at nothing to throw the heroine under the bus.
So instead, we want to celebrate those caring and supportive female casts that show up in romance because it’s always nice reading about women supporting other women.
Amanda: For me, I loved Tessa Bailey’s Broke & Beautiful series. The first book, Chase Me ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Scribd ), introduces the three heroines of the series. They’re all roommates and they’re totally sweet. It’s also nice seeing how close the three of them get throughout the series’ books. The three heroes are also friends, if that sparks your interest as well
Sarah: Call of Crows series, starting with The Unleashing ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au ), and the Wallflower Quartet, starting with Secrets of a Summer Night ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au | Scribd )!
Carrie: Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie – and actually all of her book feature female friendships heavily.
Pride and Prejudice ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au ) – Lizzie and Jane, Lizzie and Charlotte
Redheadedgirl: Emma ( A | K | G | AB | Au ) – Emma and Harriet. It’s the evolution of how Emma learns how to friend that I adore.
Carrie: War for the Oaks ( A | BN | K | G | AB ), of course. Eddi and Carla FTW.
These are only a few recommendations off the top of our heads, but what would you recommend? Any awesome and empowering female friendships on your bookshelf?
Sofia, Hannah, Fozia, and Suj in “Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged”.
Lucy Maud Montgomery’s books always featured strong friendships between female characters – the Anne books in particular: Diana, her college friends and, when she marries, Leslie and Miss Cornelia. In the Emily books, Emily and Ilse have a relationship that is occasionally tested, but always prevails.
Then there is the relationship between the March sisters. The love and support they give each other is the best part of Little Women,
This is such a great Rec League! My additions:
– The Soho Loft series by Melissa Brayden, starting with “Kiss the Girl” – f/f contemporary romances about a group of female friends who start an ad agency together. They’ve been friends since college and they are there to support each other and cut through the crap when necessary. So great.
– The Finishing School series by Gail Carriger, starting with “Etiquette & Espoinage” – the YA prequel series to The Parasol Protectorate, these books focus on the (spy!) adventures of Sophronia and her friends, upon a flying dirigible, in 1850’s Britain.
– Strangers in Paradise series by Terry Moore – a comic series that ran from 1993-2007, you can find them in novel length trade editions. At the start, it seems like a love triangle between Katchoo, who is in love with her best friend Francine and then meets David, who loves her. But it evolves quickly. There are so many kick-ass women who have complicated, three dimensional relationships with each other. And David moves past romantic foil to become a trusted friend. Also, there’s the mob. It’a funny and romantic and violent. Very Call of Crows in that way!
Excellent topic! I always love strong friendships or found families in romances. My first thought was everything by Jennifer Crusie, especially Fast Women. Agnes and the Hitman has a great found family, and Welcome to Temptation/Faking It have sibling relationships as friendships.
Nora Roberts also tends to have strong friendships or sibling relationships, especially in her trilogies. I always thought the broken friendship between Ripley and Mia was the true love story in the Three Sisters trilogy.
The Fool’s Gold series by Susan Mallery also has a focus on the town as community and the women forming friendships. I particularly liked lonely, brilliant Felicia learning how to have friends in Two of a Kind.
I”m with KateB — all the Gail Carriger books. She is so good at female friendships. And I love Lisa Kleypas historicals for their females working together instead of against each other storyline threads.
I LOVE this topic! All of Tessa Dare’s Spindle Cove novels and novellas prominently feature a wonderful, supportive seaside community of shy, eccentric, or otherwise offbeat ladies. It’s one of my favorite parts of a series I absolutely adore. I am particularly fond of the very protective, sort of Lizzie-and-Jane-ish relationship between Minerva Highwood and her older sister Diana, which winds through several books in the series.
Ilona Andrews…Kate and Andrea
Seanan McGuire: Toby and May
Lauren Willig: Amy, Harriet, Charlotte, and Penelope. Jane and Miss Gwen.
Just finished Lisa Marie Perry’s “Meant to be Mine”, and Joss and Sofia’s friendship was one of the high points of the book. I look forward to seeing more of it when the next book, with Joss as heroine, comes out in January.
I’m also in for the Wallflowers, and for the women in Gail Carriger’s books. I love the finishing school girls, but the wry, warm bond between Rue and Primrose in the new Custard Protocol series makes me smile.
For female friendships in TV, I cannot emphasize enough how much I love Leslie and Ann from Parks & Rec. Two very different people who love each other and each other’s differences. Also Leslie and April, Leslie and Donna…lots of good levels of lady friendship in that show.
I’m a big fan of sisters who are also friends in stories. A tale in which there are sisters who have one another’s backs is always so fucking fun. A pair or set of ride or die sisters can make even the most unlikely storyline fun as hell. Some examples are:
– The Autumn Bride by Anne Gracie has not only the loving friendship of sisters, but a found family of sisters who then run the abusive staff out of an old lady’s house and pose as her family themselves.
– Love Letters From the Duke and Confessions of a Little Black Gown by Elizabeth Boyle, which also features a ride-or-die cousin.
– Love and Other Scandals, It Takes a Scandal, Love in a Time of Scandal, not only has a great set of friends, a pair of whom are sisters, but they constantly conspire and hunt down and share the ton’s serialised Fifty Shades style publication together.
– Valerie Bowen’s Playful Brides books have great friends who support one another.
– The Confessions of Georgia Nicholson. It’s also kind of poignant watching Georgia’s friendship change and grow.
– Also by Louise Rennison, The Tallulah Casey books, complete with a scene of the girls encouraging one another to find their inner glory in Withering Tights.
A rousing second to those who have already mentioned the Carriger novels and the Willigs.
I am currently reading Nora Roberts’ Bride Quartet and it has the best female friendship I’ve ever seen – some Goodreads reviewers even say the friendship takes too much place compared to the romance. I disagree because I think it’s the best. Four women, friends since childhood, all living together in a big estate, working together in their own company, talking over each other, loving each other. It’s the best.
Love the topic 🙂 I do get annoyed myself when the friendships are contrived to make the MC’s love life move forward at the expense of a deep friendship.
Historical:
-A Rose at Midnight – Anne Stuart (just love the almost undying devotion and concern for one another through out the book)
-The Earl’s Dilemma – Emily May (a very genuine, supportive friendship)
-Love and other Scandals (seconded!)
-Forever Betrothed, Never a Bride – Christi Caldwell (had me LOL-ing)
Contemporary: Bound by Duty – Cora Reilly (Two very different women who are friends, but married within the mafia, ending’s a bit of a hot mess though)
Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series-the whole family is tight, but I like how Francesca, the quiet introverted one, knows her sisters (and brothers) will always love her and watch her back. Also, Quinn’s Smythe-Smith quartet. The epic concert from behind the scenes! I really like how these young ladies participate in the family tradition, even when they KNOW it’s awful!
I second (or third) Nora Roberts. Anything by her really but my favorites are the Born In series and the Gallaghers of Ardmore.
I would add Kristen Callihan Game On series, Pamela Clare’ s I Team series.
Two series always immediately come to mind:
1. Kate and Andrea in Ilona Andrews Magic/Kate Daniels series
2. And though it takes her awhile, Eve Dallas and her “girl posse”–Mavis, Peabody, Nadine, and even Dr. Mira.
Also, Kristen Callahan’s Rock Chicks and all her crossover series.
@Silver James:
I think you meant Kristen Ashley’s Rock Chicks and her crossover series. 🙂
Penny Reid is a master at writing female friendship! I love the women in her Knitting in the City and Winston Brothers series. Plus Victoria Dahl’s Girls Night Out series and I just read Kylie Scott’s Dirty and was super impressed by the quality of female friendships the main character formed.
I agree with all the mentions of the Bride Quartet – strong connections for sure. I also think it’s interesting in that it plays a lot with the “pack” “role” motifs we typically see with male groups. There’s an alpha, for example, and different roles of the “team” or “pack” carried by the different women. It’s fascinating.
Well most of the ones I was going to mention have already been brought up, (Carriger, Quinn, Willig, McGuire, Crusie) but I’d also add Amanda Quick — most of hers feature pretty strong female friendships, more so than some of her contemporaries as Jayne Anne Krentz or Jayne Castle. Nancy Martin’s Blackbird series also features strong female relationships with both sisters and friends.
Most of my recs are already posted, but I’ll toss in Lauren Dane as well. Friends and the family you make for yourself are strong elements in her writing.
Also Christina Lauren, especially the Wild Seasons books and Alice Clayton’s Cocktail books which had lots of social group dynamics.
Bride Quartet! Add my vote please!
Haven’t seen any reviews of these, but I have to add Shelley Adina’s Lady of Devices steampunk series. I loved all of the books but especially the strong supportive relationships among all the women. As they say, the are a flock. (of chickens. gotta love the chickens.)
I like the female friendships in Shelley Laurenston’s books.
I would add the Key trilogy by Nora Roberts. The friendship that developed between Malory, Dana, and Zoe always seemed to me to be somewhat more interesting than the relationships with the men. It’s been awhile since I read them, but here’s your case in point. I remember their names and their friendship, but I remember nothing about the guys.
Also, the further you get into the In Death series, the more you see Eve developing healthy friendships with other women (Peabody, Nadine, Mira, Louise, and Trina, I didn’t include Maeve because that relationship happened prior to the start of the series). That’s an interesting progression to watch, because it’s very clear how gun-shy Eve is at the beginning of the series when it comes to developing any relationships. It’s also alluded to that Maeve really didn’t give her a choice, it was “Hi, we’re going to be friends and you’re going to love me beyond reason, even though we met in a really weird way.”
Love Lauren Dane for her strong female characters and their strong relationships. Those relationships remain a priority even after (or as a part of) the HEA. Also Kristen Proby (started to list but it’s really all her series). Eloisa James. Julia Quinn. Kim Harrison. Debora Geary. Alice Clayton. Jennifer Ashley. Kristan Higgins, Molly Harper Christina Skye & Kathleen Brooks – some of their stories do this more successfully than others
Jeannie Lin’s The Lotus Palace. The relationship between Yue Ying and Mingyu is so lovely and touching.
Tammara Webber’s Easy has a strong friendship between Jacqueline and her roommate, and eventually there is a great show of solidarity and support by a group of women.
I love most of the relationships in Jennifer Crusie’s books, but I actually dislike the friendships in Bet Me. Min’s friends are so focused on “protecting” her at certain points that they take away her agency, and that friend is never called out on it. However, the male friendships in Bet Me are rather hilarious, as are the male-female friendships.
For those who hold up Pride & Prejudice, I’d suggest Curtis Sittenfield’s Eligible. Whether or not you like it as a remake, it does feature strong friendships between women and sisters, and does a good job of showing empathy and affection between even the most problematic characters (Mary, Lydia, and Kitty).
Patricia Wrede tends to do female friendships well. Aside from Sorcery and Cecilia, her YA Enchanted Forest series actually plays with (and rejects) the “heroine is the only good female” trope, and provides the heroine (Cimorene) with a strong older female mentor (Kazul), and down-to-earth best friends (Morwen and in the first book Alianora).
Another great thread that is going to do serious damage to my credit card bill…
I agree with some previous posters about the great friendships in Lauren Dane’s books, but I also feel like there’s a weird element of slut shaming for those outside the friend circle – especially in her Hurley Brothers series. I really enjoyed the series, but it bothered me that the band groupies and such were characterized so negatively. Am I crazy?
The new Sarah MaacLean series has great female friendships (at least so far), both between sisters and with others. I just finished A Scot in the Dark and the desire for and pleasure in finding friends was a key aspect of the heroine’s journey, which I loved.
Laura Florand’s various Paris/French series develop female friendships over time in a lovely and organic way. I love her books so much, I would read her grocery list if she published it.
Alexander McCall Smith’s “No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency” series–not a romance, although there are quiet romances that develop over time, but wonderfully cozy books with loveliness and nuanced female relationships.
He also has a fun modern retelling of “Emma” for you Austenites.
Second all the mentions of Kleypas, Robb and Roberts, Crusie, and Ilona Andrews. Will add the Valkyries in Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series.
Another vote for the ladies in Tessa Dare’s Spindle Cover. For Susan Mallery, also. She writes friendships so well, especially in the Fool’s Gold series and the Blackberry Island trio.
The female friendships in Rita Mae Brown’s Mrs. Murphy mysteries are strong and supportive, especially Harry and her friend Susan. The fictional Crozet is a tight-knit community with friendships across class, sex, and age. -sigh- Now I am craving ham biscuits.
Jill Shalvis: Lucky Harbour series.
Lauren Dane: Brown Siblings/Delicious/Hurley Boys series/crossovers.
Lauren Layne: The Wedding Belles series.
I’m hear to add my vote for Nora Roberts. I especially liked the friendships in the Three Sisters’ Island trilogy and the way she depicted the intricacies of evolving/changing relationships. I will always have a soft spot for the second chance friendship between Ripley and Mia.
I just started reading Jill Shalvis’s new Heartbreaker Bay novel and I love the friendship between the heroine and her girlfriends (as well as the friendship with the two men).
Like the comments above I like the friendships that have developed over time in the Kate Daniels and Eve Dallas series. Both Kate and Eve work in a man’s world and were inexperienced in the ways of women’s friendships. It’s one of my favorite things in both series, the way their loyalties change….both would do anything to protect their female friends. Two very complex women who learn to risk vulnerability…..it’s beautiful.
I also enjoyed the friendships between Kelly Bowen’s female characters. Mostly “service” orientated relationships, but still loyal and honest.
I love love the relationship between Mary Balogh’s teachers in the “Magic” series and the way they stick together and support each other no matter what.
Nora Roberts is great at writing female friendships that develop between strangers, I think the women in the “Key Trilogy” is her best one so far, but the “Island Trilogy” is pretty good too.
The first book that came to mind is Louder than Love by Jessica Topper, one of my most favorite comfort reads. The heroine is a widow with a young daughter who becomes involved with a reclusive rocker, but she gives and receives tremendous emotional support from the group of four women friends in her home town. Each is an individual with her own strengths and problems, but all are mutually supportive. What I particularly like is that the friendships predated any romance. I don’t count series where women acquire a group of friends who come pre-attached to a circle of male friends or relatives. I like many series that feature this dynamic, but they tend not to put women’s friendships front and center in the same way.
I also like Rachel and Ivy in Harrison’s Hollows series. Their friendship is complex and angsty in an urban fantasy setting and threads its way through the whole series.
Penny Reid’s Knitting in the City series also features a close group of women friends, each unique and in very different stages of relationships. I really enjoy the combination of humor and emotion in this series. Rachel Gibson has a series about a group of women writers who make a point of getting together on a regular basis, but the intricacies of female friendship are not as detailed as in Reid’s section
Jill Mansell writes interesting friendships between women and complicated families. She’s more women’s fiction than romance, but I’ve yet to read one that didn’t end with an HEA.
I recently gave up on a romance because the heroine’s only real friend seemed to be her younger sister, all the other women were false friends. Also the hero didn’t seem to really have any friends, he was liked but neither character had people they confided in and completely pulled me out of the story.
For recommendations.
Mary Balogh-The Survivor’s Club books do a great job of showing all sorts of friendships; new ones from the new spouses to various friendships outside marriage. A major part of most of the stories usually involves women deepening and finding new friendships.
Loretta Chase-My favorite books of hers are full of wonderful friendships between men and women-Viscount Vagabond and Devil’s Delilah.
Georgette Heyer-The heart of Cotillion is how Kitty reaches out to other women and sees different parts of the London Ton. Also The Talisman Ring where the plot starts with two women becoming friends.
Lois McMaster Bujold-I love how she writes all of the women in the books and she makes clear the power of female friendship and knowledge in Barrayaran society.
Seanan Mcguire-October Daye was mentioned but Incryptid is full of badass women who support each other.
The Leigh Bardugo duology Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom has wonderful female friendships in it, those books are both YA fantasy. Highly recommended if you enjoy books like Lies of Locke Lamora or Leverage.
In terms of TV shows-Leverage, Parker and Sophie then everyone else that comes into their orbit.
@Lauren, not crazy. I get what you’re saying, but I read the groupie thing as more a disrespect issue. As in, I’m standing right here, and you’re coming on to my man? Also a lack of maturity thing that crops up in her characters from time to time (which I find much more troubling) As in, you say you love me and want to be with me forever, but how can I trust that when you’re around sexually available women?
As to the topic, I stand by the rec.
I don’t think it’s been mentioned but Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires books. Merit (heroine) maintains her pre-vampire BFF, although their relationship goes through some ups and downs. And she creates other female friendships too as the books progress.
And +1 for Laurenston’s Crow books!
Let me add G.A. Aiken’s “Court of Vipers:” Annwyl, Talaith, Dagmar, Morfyd, and Iseabail. Plus those adorable sisters, Elina and Kachka Shestakova of the Black Bear Riders blah blah blah.
An oldie but goodie (that y’all have probably read) is Julie Garwood’s The Secret, which has at its core a lovely friendship.
On the non-romance tip, I’m going to stump for Sir Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching series. Do not be put off by the “children’s books” label they get. The first book opens with how the reason Tiffany wants to be a with is that last winter when a boy went missing the townspeople (still her neighbors) went to the house of a goofy acting old lady and called her a witch and burned her house down and killed her cat and wouldn’t let her into their houses so she froze and starved and died. Children’s book my ass. It is less satirical than typical Discworld fare which is how I think it got that label.
Anyway, not so much the first book but the next books where she goes to “witch school” and there are Mean Girls and seemingly talentless pretty girls and at first it seems like the usual deal but then what inevitably happens is Tiffany realizes the value that most people have even if they are not exactly like you and it is such a refreshing take on all those usual tropes we get fed about women pitted against each other. Seriously this series is awesome.