You did it! We figured this one out! It is a truth universally acknowledged (by me for certain) that the Bitchery pretty much knows everything, and really, it's true. Scroll down to see the solution for this HaBO - and many thanks!
This HaBO request is from B., who is looking for this historical romance:
I’m looking for one of the first romance novels I read when I was a teenager. Unfortunately I can only remember one scene from it, and it’s not even that interesting of a scene.
In the part I recall, the couple are in his house arguing about I don’t remember what. She flounces out, as one does, and chooses to run out the back door. But what she doesn’t know is that the house is unfinished so she falls out and injures herself.
I don’t know why I feel the need to re-read this based off of this one detail, but this scene has lived rent free in my head for years now. It was definitely a historical, probably a western, and I think there was a marriage of convenience which is why she had moved into his house. Based on when I read it, it would have been published before 2005.
Let’s HaBO!
Sorry, no book suggestions, but this reminds me of my Polish grandmother who absolutely LOVED going to houses being built in the neighborhood and literally just marching right in to “inspect” them. I miss her.
I’m pretty sure this is Keegan’s Lady by Catherine Anderson. My only hesitancy is that she’s not flouncing, she’s fleeing, because she’s hella freaked–they’ve just been shotgun married, she thinks he’s gonna assert his rights, and she’s a rape survivor who is WIGGING OUT about the situation (he doesn’t know that). But he’s still building the house, and the back porch hasn’t been built yet, so when she runs out the back door it’s basically just a hard dive into ground. Basically, you seem to remember the scene as being played for laughs, but it’s defs not in Keegan’s Lady. That said, Western, marriage of convenience, this scene, and the time you would have read it all match up, so…
Unintentional internet irony: this post opened with a random ad for a personal injury attorney.
I believe the book is Keegan’s Lady
Injuries self just walking out of house. Relatable.
Leslee, you’re amazing! It’s Keegan’s Lady. I was able to find a copy last night, and it’s definitely the scene that was stuck in my head. I don’t remember the rest of the book or the overall tone at all though. Must have become jumbled up with other books over the years.
@B!! YAY!!! I WAS SO EXCITED when this happened yesterday, no kidding, it was stupid, I was texted my roomie and was like MY TIME HAS COME!! I KNOW THE ANSWER!! (She laughed at me and made me a hilarious meme.) But seriously, I’m so glad I could help put your curiosity to rest.
LOL, @LESLEE, I’d do the same if I ever knew one of these
I’m notorious for not remembering details, so if I ever figured out one of these I’d be running to my socials at a rapid pace to tell EVERYONE I know