Why Can’t The Heroines Do The Rescuing?
Monday, June 16, 2008Posted in: random musings, random rambling
Seriously?
The only books I’ve read where the heroine is actually the rescuer, is La Nora’s In Death series. One of the reasons I think Eve Dallas resonates with so many readers, is because she is so unlike the traditional romance heroine. So why can’t there be more Eve Dallas-type heroines in Romanceland?
It annoys the heck out of me when the heroine is a cop, and she’s the one who is ultimately rescued by the hero, who is not a cop. What is up with that?
Do we romance readers always need our heroines to be rescued by the hero?
kirsten saell
June 17
5:17 pm
There’s a fine line between a heroine who saves the day (and maybe her man) and one who does all the work while her “hero” sits at home drinking tea. You have to be able to write a strong, take-charge heroine without emasculating the hero. That doesn’t mean the hero has to be alpha, just that he can’t be a wuss. If an author can do that, those are the books I most love.
Gail Dayton
June 17
9:28 pm
They’re married. What the heck kind of marriage are they going to have if they stop having sex? Or maybe you’re saying you don’t want the sex to be on the page… Meh. I think La Nora does an excellent job of writing sex that is steamy without being graphic. It’s very romantic.
As far as the heroine saving the hero–I like the Taking Turns theme, or the Working Together To Save The Day motif. I really like the “Working Together” thing, where they are both absolutely necessary to solve the problem and kick the asses, and one can’t do it without the other.
An author I recall as an early “Taking Turns” author–In Historical Romance–is Roberta Gellis. I remember at least one medieval (heroine named Fenice, or Felice) where you could almost count “Okay he saved her, now it’s her turn to save him. Now it’s his turn. Her turn…” She was able to save him at least once because the bad guys discounted her as being a “weak woman”, but she was Sneaky. Gellis writes some great historical romance. And some of it is even being reprinted now.
veinglory
June 17
9:47 pm
She has also recently written some very nice funny sci fi.
Angelia Sparrow
June 18
12:20 am
I like strong, intelligent heroines. Too stupid to live annoys me. Navajo Echoes has a really good heroine. And most of the time she was VERY up front with the hero as opposed to operating on assumptions and expectations like too many women, real and fictional.
On the gay front, I see the seme/uke thing a lot, but I also see “just guys” average height, and about equal smarts, falling for each other.
I tend to write a variety of men. Two little ordinary guys in love. Big and dumb + small and smart. Big and smart about some stuff, small and smart about other stuff. Two just-guys.
The rescuing can be done by anyone at any time, including a planned scene in my percolating Robin Hood novel where “Maid” Marion stages a rescue for Robin.
Christine McKay
June 18
2:01 pm
I try to make my heroines independent. Nothing jarrs me more out of a story than a heroine who is strong right up to the climax and then falls apart and waits for the hero to save her. I also prefer beta heroes. Something sexy to be said for those quiet nonassuming types.
Rosemary Laurey
June 20
12:34 pm
This caught my eye. I’ve often had heroines rescue the hero.. why not? in any situation the one most able to rescue should do the deed IMO
Mind you I have, on occasion, received flack from certain reviewers over it- some said it made my heroes look ‘wimpy’.
But I’ve never had a reader complain about it 🙂
After all, in life women are frequently the carers and rescuers. and if the heroine has paranormal abilities, she darn well should use them when needed.
After all, what woman wouldn’t do all to rescue someone they could?