by Melissa Allen, Direct-to-Consumer Team
The Harlequin Presents book I am currently reading is Kept by the Spanish Billionaire by Cathy Williams (visit eHarlequin.com to see more books by Cathy Williams). I must say that I am pleasantly surprised by this novel! The main character, Amy, meets the handsome, successful and brooding (of course!) Rafael Vives after catching her crush, James in an embrace with another woman at a party in the Hamptons. The twist in this story is that Rafael leads Amy to believe that he’s simply the gardener employed by James and manages to carry on this façade throughout this story. The fact that Amy actually believes him, despite the glaring evidence stating otherwise, is testament to Amy’s trusting character.
In fact, what really makes this story a great read for me is Amy’s personality overall – yes, she is slightly naïve and sure, maybe she’s too trusting and takes a person’s word without ever questioning it. However, Amy is also unique in that she does have some life experience under her belt, she’s down to earth, doesn’t always say the proper thing and best of all, she is extremely quirky (case in point: she met Rafael when she was stuck in a tree and needed his help climbing down)!
We all appreciate a good sweep-you-off-your-feet Cinderella romance and for me, the appeal of Harlequin Presents is definitely the escape factor – the reader’s ability to put herself into the heroine’s shoes and become as part of that story. I think that a vital component in the ‘escape factor’ is the believability of the heroine – she needs to have a well-rounded personality with just the right mix of independence, strength, vulnerability and that something special. In the case of our dear Amy, that something special is the quirkiness I mentioned earlier, emphasized by her often humorous tendency to say/do the wrong thing at the wrong time/place. Sure it’s a quality that makes her less ‘perfect’ than the leading ladies of other romance novels, but that’s what makes her a woman that we can all relate to…and besides, nobody’s perfect!
What other heroines have been memorable to you and why?
Jessica from Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase, presents writers take note.
A personal favourite heroine of mine is Kelda from Lynn Graham’s fabulous Angel of Darkness. She’s fiery and feisty and impulsive, and she fights her own attraction to the hero, her stepbrother, and stands up to him brilliantly (which infuriates him!). But she’s also incredibly vulnerable, and Angelo hurts her SO much, that you really do feel her pain. But she still won’t give and let him dominate her. And when he’s finally kind to her, I defy anyone not to burst into tears!
Julia
Ok now I’ve been compelled to go and order Lynne’s book, because I vaguely remember it too…and have to read it again! Perhaps the fact that I’m stuck on an ms might have a teensy weensy factor in this…
And thanks presentsfan for your recommendation too…sounds very intriguing.
Abby Green
I have always liked authors who write their heroines as quirky, humorous and sometimes slightly self-deprecating (but also not seeing the hero with stars in her eyes at first either).
Most of Mary Lyons’ books had these kind of heroines, Anne McAllister’s also. Susan Napier also had some of these types of heroines as well as the fiery, dramatic kind. I remember one book of Susan’s that had her heroine believing she was exchanging passionate love letters with a man she had met in a party, only to realize that “his” letters were intended for her sister.
Then, when the heroine went to the hero’s house to confess that she had been receiving the letters instead of her sister, there was a humorous confrontation involving guard dogs, old bicycles, ripped pantyhose and the police. It was a fun book (but can’t remember the title!) and also very satisfying to read as the hero gradually realized what a prize the “frumpy” sister really was. The ending was very sweet, but also included a touch of humor involving the heroine’s bad-tempered cat.
I do also like the fire-brands that stand up to the hero, especially when the heroine seeks revenge on the hero, which is not the norm. I remember an old book (can’t remember the title or author) that had the heroine seducing the hero into marriage for revenge by refusing to sleep with him unless they were married (and he was desperate!). That was a twist (woman seeking revenge) that we should see more of (instead of always the other way around).
PresentsFan, I’ll look for some books by Loretta Chase, I also like Historicals. Do you like Historicals written by Eloisa James and Julia Quinn? I enjoy their books. They are not OTT emotionally (which is the main reason I find HPresents books so much fun), but are witty and cute and I also think the heroines are spunky and interesting.
Cheryl
Right – this is where this was meant to go:
One of my favourite heroines has always been Mia in The Price of a Bride. Here’s one of those quietly strong heroines – Mia is no martyr. She’ll do anything she has to in order to protect her much younger sister who of course isn’t her sister at all. But she doesn’t just submit out of weakness or because she has no choice – she does it because ultimately, as she says, she will ‘get back something that once belonged’ to her – and that is something she values so much that it’s worth it.
But, as always with a wonderfully written Michelle Reid book, there is the knowledge that underneath the conflict, underneath – and creating – the trap in which these two people have become caught, laid by her monster of a father, is a bone deep, undeniable, passionate attraction between the two of them. In fact Mia actually warns the hero, Alexander, that he set himself up for this, put his head into the trap by letting her father see just how much he desired her. And she tried to put him off *for his sake*. To ‘freeze him out’, to save him from the situation but he wouldn’t listen. And so now they are both fighting against the situation into which they’ve been forced, while not able to acknowledge, even to themselves, how much they both really want each other. It’s that ‘had you come some other day, then it might not have been this way,’ situation and now they are both caught – and fighting against showing how they really feel.
But they are both doing this for reasons that mean that ultimately they will get what they want out of it and, as someone once said to me about The Antonakos Marriage, they’re doing it for reasons that are so much more important than money – for something that money can’t buy. And that’s what makes Mia anything but an old fashioned, stereotypical, weak, heroine has no identity, boring and just so typical and predicable.
Another wonderful heroine is the sparky, unconventional, purple haired Sierra from Anne McAllister’s fabulous The Inconvenient Bride. When she comes up against Dominic with his starched shirts, his tailored suits and his neatly knotted ties she’s determined to teach him that there was more to life than meetings and mergers. And what she did with Dominic’s tie . . .A totally different heroine and a totally different sort of conflict. Fabulous reads both.
I agree with you CT!
In fact, I think my ideal heroine would have a combination of quirkiness, self-deprecation (is that even a word?:) and that ‘fire’ as you so eloquently put it.
Abby you should check that book out its good and CT I do like Historicals I love Julia Quinn books did really enjoy the bridgerton’s books, and completely agree I hate romance that is OTT emotionally but not familiar with Eloisa James but I check her out recommend me a book, Loretta Chase books are really good and she writes such good heroines. Kate I agree about The Price of a Bride by Michelle Reid one of my favourites.
Kate,
I agree with you about The Price of a Bride, that was an excellent book. I also remember reading The Inconvenient Bride, which I enjoyed (I like almost all of Anne McAllister’s books, she does a very good “quirky” heroine).
PresentsFan: Eloisa James has written several series, she is just starting a new one now. I really enjoyed the last series she wrote, which was about four sisters whose father had died and were now left as wards to a duke (but a frumpy, drunken Duke…). The books are cute and witty, I liked them. They are (in order published): Much Ado about You, Kiss me Annabel, The Taming of the Duke and Pleasure for Pleasure.
Lisa Kleypas has also written some good (historical) books and I did like some of the “Simply” books by Mary Balogh (but not all of them, only the 3rd, 5th and 6th books in the series). Happy reading!
Cheryl
PresentsFan,
Actually, I do like the Harlequin Presents books that are very melodramatic and OTT. I get a kick out of them, especially if they make me cry. That’s why I like the Presents line (because I think most of the books are supposed to be OTT and emotional).
But, I also enjoy the light, humorous, witty types of books, which is why I like to read Julia Quinn and Eloisa James. It just depends what kind of mood I am in when I sit down to read. Unfortunately for my husband, (who is a neat freak), I have piles of books available to read at all times!
Cheryl
Cheryl … the Susan Napier book with the sister confusion and the passionate letters is titled Phantom Lover, it’s a 1994 release
Katherine,
Thanks for posting the title of the old Susan Napier book that I remember so well (Phantom Lover). I will have to check out half.com to see if I can pick it up. I have many old books by Susan in my “keeper pile”, but that one got away from me. Thanks again!
Cheryl
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