Strong Heroines

I recently read some reviews on one of the bigger review sites of a series of books in which the heroines are described by the reviewer as doormats. They allow the heroes to treat them poorly, insult them, and even physically push them around, but just smile and go back for more. And apparently none of them know anything at all about sex, despite being in their twenties.

I'm not naming the site or the series because this isn't about those books or the reviews; it's about the presentation of heroines in romance. Back in the day, it apparently wasn't uncommon to have a very naive, even childish heroine who was pushed around by the hero in the name of "true love." I don't know; I confess to not having read any romances during that era. I didn't start reading romances until I started writing them, to be honest. And most of today's romances, at least the ones I've read, don't have pushover heroines and heroes who are...well, I can't think of a way to describe them without swearing, and since this is only my third post here I'm not quite sure if swearing's okay. So let's just say heroes whose behavior goes far, far beyond jerkish.

Personally, I don't want to read about doormats, having been one most of my life. In my case, it's because I was taught that I deserved to be treated badly and that everyone else's needs and wants were more important than mine. I've spent the past several years teaching myself differently, and it just plain ticks me off (for the woman's sake) when I read about a woman who just lets a guy walk all over her. Or a guy who lets another guy walk all over him, for that matter; the doormat phenomenon is not exclusive to heterosexual romance.

But I am talking mostly about heroines here because female doormats do seem more prevalent, and I think that's a shame. While there's room for debate about the responsibility of an author in any given situation, I think that it's important for authors to depict strong characters. I have no problem with reading--or writing--about heroines who have been through abuse or other experiences that have left them unsure of themselves, but I prefer to see that heroine overcoming her past and becoming stronger in the course of the story, not reliving the same patterns over and over.

It's taken me a while to write about heroines who are nothing like me, who are already strong and confident. But I prefer writing them now that I've gotten the hang of it, and that's the type I like to read about. Heroines--and heroes--can and will have flaws, but in my opinion, accepting poor treatment and even outright abuse from someone who's supposed to love them shouldn't be one of them. Especially if that treatment is presented by the author as "romantic."

Books that are becoming passe'...at least to this reviewer

Its me again...your friendly Diva reviewer. I told that I would be back. Today I was gonna touch on what genres/sub-genres that right now, kinda bore me. Please don't throw things at me. Remember, its just my opinion. I have some good news to share. I've hired some reviewers to Harlie's Book Blog. Their reviews should post sometime next month. I have a request form on the blog and I'm getting 1-2 requests every other day now and I can't keep up. Trust me, I'm not complaining but I've wanted to expand the blog for some time now and that time is now.

The blog will also be converted to a Word Press platform and sometime this summer, it will fully convert to www.harliesbooks.com. I've got everything done for that but the conversion to WP. *sigh* Still waiting on the designer.


Here's a list of a couple that right now are kinda boring:

1. Ménage-I love a good ménage but I want it to mean something. Bring me the emotional connection between the characters. Anyone can have sex so show me how the emotions play into the relationship. Is there jealousy, feeling left out of the equation, or is the ménage just based on the sex? My biggest peeve is when an author builds up a ménage relationship and then BAM…someone is left out. What is worse about that is, the relationship that I invested in continues for the left out person in another book. Please, don’t do this. Make either the ménage be a committed relationship or a one shot deal. Unfortunately, I have stopped reading authors that do this.


2. BDSM-I realize that this particular sub-genre is hot right now because of 50 Shades but I have read some bad BDSM before but I am finding that authors are just throwing in certain aspects of BDSM and then labeling it BSDM. I have written a short story that has the hero tying up the heroine but I wouldn’t label it “true” BDSM. They don’t live the lifestyle nor do they want to. It is just an aspect of their bedroom repertoire they use every occasionally.


3. The “Friends to Lovers” troupe-Yes, my current WIP is this particular troupe but the conflict that I built in my story is not necessarily the conflict with each other but how the town effects their relationship and defines who and what they are as individuals. Don’t bring in the ex-whatever to break them up and then have them work it out. Boring…


4. As a reviewer, the length of the story has never bothered me. Some short stories have packed enough characterization/conflict/sex for me. Then there are some long novels that have bored me to tears.


5. Too much sex-I know what you are thinking. Yes, there can be too much sex in a book. As a reader of erotic romance and erotic shorts, I can be bored with it. I like a story with characters that I can connect with, care about, and cheer for in the end. Sex is sex and anyone can have it, so leaving out the gratuitous sex for sex sake’s would be great.


I'm sure that you are probably thinking...wow, maybe you shouldn't read a book anymore, much less review them.  Trust me, I've thought about it.  Most bloggers/reviewers have thought about it.  Reviewers/bloggers don't get paid for the work we do and sometimes, we want to chunk it all, just like writers do. 

We review because we love books.  Nothing more, nothing less. 

I'm sure that I will be crucified for my opinion.  Feel free.  I'm feeling a little feisty right now. 

Until next month...

Harlie (Marika)

And now, a Blog on my Opinion which no one really wants to hear

... But I figured, what the hell, I'll write it anyway.

I don't know if I'm just poking my head out of my writing cave more or if there is an uptick in these type posts, but I'm seeing a lot of posts by my fellow authors decrying some types of stories.

Needless to say, they are not poo-pooing To Kill a Mockingbird. The big one that seems to be getting people up in arms are those faux incest stories with titles such as Daddy's Little Slut.

Now, I've found all the posts well-written and thoughtful, nothing inflammatory - just stating their opinions. Still, I find it ironic (in what I think is the proper dictionary definition) that people who write erotica and M/M romances are talking about how disturbing these books are. I mean, there is a reason that people who write these types of stories take pen names - remember the Judy Mays situation? Judy is a pen name of a high school teacher who writes erotica. This was such a "big deal" that it made a newscast.

Personally, I don't care for M/M. I have no interest in reading it, writing it, or even knowing it exists. More than that, I know some gay men find the M/M genre offensive - no, not all of them, but I do know some who find it ridiculous that women are writing a sanitized homosexual experience for the sexual enjoyment of other women.

So how does it effect you that I and others don't like M/M. It doesn't in any way, shape, or form. Who cares what I think - you certainly shouldn't. You should nod your head and go, "Good for you Dani, but I'm keeping my M/M."

Which is my point. Why does it matter what any of the rest of us are reading, or what each of us finds exciting or titillating, whether it be M/M written by women for women, incest-lite fantasies, paranormal shifter stories where they have sex while one is in their shifted form, or just standard erotic romance. This is the beauty of the written word, that these crazy fantasies can be shared with like minded people and be ignored by anyone who doesn't care.