The Rec League: Tall Heroines

The Rec League - heart shaped chocolate resting on the edge of a very old bookThis Rec League request comes from Reader Kate, who is in search for heroines who aren’t always described as petite. Here’s her email:

I’m 6’1″ tall and I often feel underrepresented by the tall ladies in romances, so I’m putting out a request for romances with very tall heroines.

I’m also genuinely curious about the number of romances out there where the heroine is taller than the hero. I can only think of one which is Susan Napier’s Mistress Deception (which I loved, and possibly found on this site).

I’ve compiled some books with tall heroines based on things I’ve read, book descriptions, and recommendations from fellow readers. I’m not sure if any of the heroines are taller than the heroine, but I believe most of the heroines are above 5’8″.

Contemporary Romances

Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au ) – Chastity is a journalist who is 5’11” while not in heels and she wants to work on embracing her femininity.

Saddled and Spurred by Lorelei James ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) – A former beauty queen turned rough and tumble cowgirl! James’ books are also on the erotic side.

Truly
A | BN | K | AB
Truly by Ruthie Knox. We had a great guest review of this romance and I also found this lovely quote from Goodreads reviewer Duchess Nicole:

Ruthie Knox nails it with this quirky, fun, sexy story. May is a fantastic heroine, and one I can easily relate to. She’s a giantess, and all her parts match her size. Being a tall girl myself, I can easily relate to May’s insecurities. It’s not often “tall” translates into “willowy”, as so many romance books will have you believe. More often than not, we tall girls feel large and clumsy. It’s great to be with a guy who’s tall…not necessarily because we only find tall guys attractive, but because they make US feel dainty and feminine. This was a point May made very well, if only in her head.

A Gentleman in the Street by Alisha Rai ( A | BN | K | AB ). I read this book a while ago, so I can’t for sure say the heroine is tall, but it did show up on a number of Goodreads lists featuring tall heroines. The heroine, Akira, is a badass bisexual billionaire.

All Summer Long by Susan Mallery ( A | BN | K | AB ) features a tomboy, firefighter heroine and a hero who was a former underwear model.

Historical Romances

It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au ). This is my favorite book in the Wallflowers quartet and features a sassy, American heiress.

The Lady Hellion
A | BN | K | AB
The Lady Hellion by Joanna Shupe has a tall heroine who disguises herself as a man to get some info. Redheadedgirl also gave it an A-.

We’ve featured Once a Soldier by Mary Jo Putney ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) in a couple of our Books on Sale posts. Here’s how the heroine is described in the jacket copy:

Knowing herself to be too tall, strong, and unconventional to appeal to a man, Athena Markham has always gloried in her independence. But for the first time in her life, she finds a man who might be her match.

And come on, her name is Athena!

Sarah recommends Devil’s Bride by Stephanie Laurens ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au ). The heroine is sometimes referred to as “Long Meg.”

Additionally, both Sarah MacLean’s No Good Duke Goes Unpunished ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au ) and Eileen Dreyer’s Never a Gentleman ( A | BN | K | AB ) also feature taller heroines!

For paranormal romances, it’s harder to pin down since a lot of them have supernatural characters, which sometimes make them 6’0″ or taller.

Do you know of any taller heroines, especially ones who may be taller than the hero?

Comments are Closed

  1. Jenni says:

    Unwrapping Her Perfect Match by Kat Latham. The heroine, Gwen, is 6’1″ emergency department nurse who likes handicrafts. The hero is a 6’9″ rugby player John. This is a Christmas themed novella in London Legends series, but it works well as standalone.

  2. Frances says:

    Georgette Heyer often had tall heroines and The Toll Gate is a good example of one featuring a very tall heroine. Many of her other books eg The Nonesuch, The Unknown Ajax, The Masqueraders All had heroines described as tall . In none however was the hero shorter than the heroine.

  3. Sonya H says:

    I don’t remember Lilian being tall. But maybe I was too distracted by her immaturity to notice…

  4. Adele Buck says:

    Loretta Chase’s THE LAST HELLION features a tall heroine. Again, not taller than the hero, but significantly taller than most women.

  5. The Other Kate says:

    I second Georgetown Heyer’s The Toll-Gate.

  6. The Other Kate says:

    Georgetown? Wow, autocorrect. GEORGETTE Heyer.

  7. Ren Benton says:

    Dukes Prefer Blondes by Loretta Chase had a tall heroine, but I doubt taller than the hero.

  8. Ren Benton says:

    @The Other Kate: I feel your pain. Autocorrect persists in its yearning for historical romances featuring ducks rather than dukes.

  9. San says:

    Ducks! Now I want to read a story of a heroine working at a nature conservatory…..with a flock of ducks all named after dukes!

  10. Jill Q. says:

    There’s an old Pamela Morsi “The Love Charm” where the hero is shorter than the heroine. I don’t believe she’s very tall, it’s more he’s short! I read it about twenty years ago, but I remember it fondly.

    I also feel like there is a Spindle Cove book with a tall heroine. Maybe the first? The hero tells the heroine it’s nice not to have to stoop to kiss a woman. Blanking on the title.

  11. Je says:

    In Dragon Actually, Annwyl is described as being taller than most men! She’s not taller than the hero on account of he’s a dragon, but still tall. 😉

  12. Gigi says:

    Kerrigan Byrne’s The Highlander has a tall heroine. She isn’t taller than the hero but pretty close.

  13. RLG says:

    Having just re-read the McKay series by Lorelei James, I can also add Redneck Romeo (last book of series) has a tall (6’1″) heroine with a taller hero. But Chasing Eight (book comes somewhere in the middle of the series) has a 5’10” (I think) heroine with a love of heels, with a shorter hero.

  14. Jill says:

    The heroine in Manda Collins How to Dance With a Duke is mentioned as being tall. Not taller than the hero, but enough that the mean girls of her set make fun of her for being an Amazon.

  15. Cat G says:

    The Proposition by Judith Ivory has a tall heroine and a rat catcher hero who is gobsmacked by her mile-long legs.

    Also, I think Suzanne Brockmann has several books with shorter heroes but I’m blanking on the titles. Nightwatch I think might be one of them.

    If you like scifi there’s also Lois McMaster Bujold’s Cordelia’s Honor, the hero is shorter than the heroine. Their son Miles is disabled and very short and goes on to have his own set of books and romance.

  16. Jo S says:

    Amanda’s already mentioned the book but I’d just like to add that in Kristan Higgins’s Just One of the Guys, the heroine is taller than the hero by an inch.

  17. Georgie says:

    The Viscount’s Betrothal by Louise Allen (HR) – with bonus points for a heroine called Decima.

    Meant to Marry by Robyn Donald (Contemporary).

    Heroine taller than hero – Skin Deep by Jasmine Haynes.

  18. Ele says:

    The Vicky Bliss series by Elizabeth Peters has a very tall and wonderfully funny heroine. This is romantic suspense, with a large side helping of humor. From the 1970s and 1980s, I think. (But they aged well.)

  19. Kim W. says:

    As a tall woman happily married to a shorter man, I love this topic. It Happened One Autumn and A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong feature tall heroines.

    If you’re into YA or fantasy/romance, The Blue Sword (one of my keeper shelf books) features a tall heroine. Her height is a kind of marker for how culture and race impact Western beauty ideals.

  20. Kiwi Carlisle says:

    Elizabeth Peters’ Vicky Bilss is described as tall. Try The Trojan Gold. Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series has Brianna.

  21. lunchable says:

    I don’t know if I’d exactly recommend it, as it’s a big bucket of old-skool crazysauce (and also seems to be out of print), but The Lady Anne, by Elizabeth Evelyn Allen features a tall heroine. (I don’t remember her being taller than the hero, but they might be about the same height.)

    Another one I wouldn’t exactly recommend (though I’ll forever have fond, nostalgic memories of it from when I read it as a teen) is the YA romance Catherine and the Pirate, by Karen Hawkins. You’re never given a really good idea of just how tall the heroine is supposed to be, but she’s definitely above average. (Still shorter than the hero, though.)

    And of course, there’s always Cimorene from Patricia C. Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles!

  22. Amber says:

    I’m currently reading the novella “Rock Courtship” by Nalini Singh and the heroine is two inches taller than the hero. I was so happy to see that, as I am so tired of all the 5’4″ ladies with the 6’5″ man.

  23. Julia aka mizzelle says:

    I can only think of secondary characters unfortunately from that one Marion Chesney book I read — “Her Grace’s Passion”. Her parents thinks she’s unmarriageable because she’s so tall, but a shorter rake is smitten by her. It’s sadly the most enjoyable part of that bonkers trad regency.

    For Jill Q: First Spindle Cove is Night to Surrender. Was that the one?

  24. Todd says:

    Georgette Heyer’s The Grand Sophy is another.

  25. Steffi says:

    Not a book, but the British TV show “Miranda” features a very tall heroine. It’s also a brilliant, hilarious show. Tom Ellis isn’t too hard on the eye, either.

  26. Nala says:

    As for It happened one autumn – Lillian is not taller than Marcus. They are almost of the same height, not because she is super tall but because he is only of average height. He is still a few inches taller, that’s actually specified. Which, mind you, is still rather revolutionary.

  27. Yush says:

    I’m pretty sure Meredith Duran’s Fool Me Twice has a tall heroine!

  28. Mary K says:

    I just read Marion Chesney’s A Rake’s Progress and that heroine is described as tall (in flattering ways) several times during the book. However, I believe the hero is taller than her still.

  29. Kate says:

    Hi All! I’m the reqestor! Thank you so much for all the awesome Rex’s, my wallet is going to take a hit for sure! I can’t wait to check them all out!

  30. Hera says:

    The latest Kate Noble book, The Dare and the Doctor, has a tall heroine, and a hero who is just slightly taller.

  31. Sally MacKenzie’s The Naked Baron has a very tall, curvy heroine. The hero is taller than her, though, if I remember right.

  32. Liz says:

    I’m 5′ 10″ so I get the “I love tall heroines” thing. But of course my brain is returning zero books. I think Cream of the Crop by Alice Clayton has one. I know the heroine is super curvy and loves expensive heels. But I *think* she’s also tall

  33. Melanie Maier says:

    Cream of the Crop by Alice Clayton features a tall,confident,voluptuous woman who goes after everything she wants-and gets it

  34. Ursula says:

    Another Historical I haven’t seen mentioned: Caroline Linden’s Love and other Scandals. Joan is pretty tall – her exact height isn’t mentioned, but her height and figure as a statuesque lady definitely play a part in her character and the plot.

    Also, I’ve read Love and other Scandals like 6 times, so it’s a pretty good one. Also features a very tall hero to match up with the heroine

  35. Beth P says:

    Cherise Sinclair’s “Lean On Me” features a tall heroine, though the hero is taller. Jessica Clare’s “The Billionaire and the Virgin” has an over-six-foot-tall heroine who is taller than the hero AND she loves wearing heels that make her even taller AND he is 100% on board with that.

  36. Erin says:

    The Friend Zone by Kristen Callihan. It’s not a main facet of the story, but the heroine Ivy is definitely tall.

  37. Laura says:

    SKIN DEEP by Jasmine Haynes. Hero is not only short (and shorter than heroine) but also bald. Contemporary erotic romance. The two meet via work (he works for a company that supplies stuff to heroine’s company) and have lots of phone conversations (including some phone sexytimes) before meeting in person.

  38. JWS says:

    To RLG’s point, in Chasin’ Eight the heroine is 5’10” and the hero is 5’7″ and has a chip on his shoulder about his height. It’s the first book I thought about when I read this post.

  39. Alex says:

    Seconding Yush’s rec of Fool Me Twice by Meredith Duran!

  40. Samantha says:

    Winning the Wallflower by Eloisa James is a historical novella that features a tall heroine! It’s short, but perfect. From the book blurb: “Lady Lucy Towerton, who is plain, tall, and considered very lucky to be betrothed to a man who lauds her irreproachable propriety. When she unexpectedly becomes an heiress—and belle of the ball—she breaks her engagement and makes up her mind to never be proper again.”

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