Historical Romance Book Club discussion

Same as the other thread, but with heroines! So who is your favorite(s)?

Mary Challoner from Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer

My favorite is Artemis from Duke of Midnight. She is a poor companion and has very little going for her in life, but she brings one of the most arrogant Heroes I have ever read to his knees. Just loved her.

On a similar note, Louisa from The Luckiest Lady in London. Not many options open to her, but she makes the best of her situation, so clever.

Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "Mary Challoner from Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer"

Added to my ever-growing TBR, have not read this one.

I am very fond of all three of he heroines mentioned so far. :3

Hmm. This is quite challenging. I can name my fav H's at the drop of a hat, but my fav heroines???? *scratches chin contemplatively* This is gonna be fun!

OK. Here goes:
The delightful, vulnerable but so brave, charismatic, totally charming Leonie from These Old Shades

Sophia Armitage from Irresistible . Sophy has had some terrible experiences and she is hiding her light under a bushel. But she is a brave woman who has real integrity. It takes Nathaniel (sigh....) to see beneath her self-defense/camouflage to the lovely and loving woman within.

Christine Derrick from Slightly Dangerous . Christine has a bright, sociable, sunny personality, and a natural charm and sex appeal that she is totally unaware of. Due to circumstances (no spoilers) she is living a quiet life pretty much withdrawn from the polite world. Until she meets Wulfric Bedwyn, the icy Duke. Wulfric doesn't WANT to be drawn to the natural warmth of this sunny woman. He doesn't WANT to fall in love with her. But HE DOES!! And she is the making of him.

Arabella from Arabella . A sweet, naive and natural young lady from a very happy but impoverished family. Arabella is no match for the the wealthy and jaded Robert Beaumaris, and yet, she is the perfect match for him. Arabella's integrity and inner strength of character and care for the needy just shine through.

Venetia from Venetia . She lives in tricky circumstances where her family take advantage of her good nature. But her patience and sunny optimism carry her through and allow her to get on with life with out falling into a depression.

Jonet Rowland from A Woman Scorned . When her husband dies in murky circumstances, society chooses to think the worst of her. But she keeps her head and sets out to protect her two sons from the danger that is lurking. And then big, beautiful, decent, upstanding Captain Cole Amherst comes to help her :D Cole is HOT! I should add him to the great heroes section!

Anna from Heartless . Anna has struggled to keep her orphaned family together in a very admirable way. She makes an excellent marriage to Lucas, Duke of Harndon, but he believes he can never love. He was deeply hurt in the past and now has an icy facade. But somehow Anna, even under the very difficult circumstances of dealing with her creepy stalker, is able to melt the ice around Luke's heart. Her gift is to bring happiness and joy and sunshine into the lives of others, and as Luke falls in love with her, he recognises this. *happy sigh* I love this book.

Well, that will do for now. I look forward to reading more entries on this thread!

Thanks for creating this discussion.

My favorite heroine is Jessica Trent from Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels. She's a strong, intelligent woman, and she knows how to handle Dain (the hero) like none before her. She's not the self-pitying type and she has great communication skills (well, in my opinion). I especially like that she takes a lot of action into her own hands. She is not one to run away from a challenge! I just love her. I wish more heroines were more like her.

Lovely thread...so many books are added in my TBR list.
I will add mine shortly. They are so many

Joanna wrote: "My favorite is Artemis from Duke of Midnight. She is a poor companion and has very little going for her in life, but she brings one of the most arrogant Heroes I have ever read to h..."

Joanna...Luckiest lady is my love. Yes she is gem.
I havnt read Duke of midnight yet...if u put them in same breath, I must have to check it.

Mahak wrote: "Joanna wrote: "My favorite is Artemis from Duke of Midnight. She is a poor companion and has very little going for her in life, but she brings one of the most arrogant Heroes I have..."

Have you read any Elizabeth Hoyt books? Many of her heroines have wonderful internal strength, like Artemis. I highly recommend her.

“Ice Queen.” Catherine Everleigh. She is a tough business woman who refuses to give up her independence to anyone.

Minerva Highwood
Another Independent miss who wants to rock the science world.

Cool-headed, daring Madeleine Greenway leads the Hero out of danger. Bad Ass

Lillian Bowman refuses to abide by "the rules" and it is hilarious.

Independent feisty heroines are my cat nip.

I love smart, witty heroines who stand up for themselves when the hero gets too alpha:

Artemis in
Lillian in
Catherine in
Eleanor in
Anna in

Joanna wrote: "Mahak wrote: "Joanna wrote: "My favorite is Artemis from Duke of Midnight. She is a poor companion and has very little going for her in life, but she brings one of the most arrogant..."
err... No. I have not read any book by her. Recommend me the best please

Mahak wrote: "Joanna wrote: "Mahak wrote: "Joanna wrote: "My favorite is Artemis from Duke of Midnight. She is a poor companion and has very little going for her in life, but she brings one of th..."

All of them, almost. Don't start with the last in the four soldiers series, it's my least favorite. My top five are probably To Beguile a Beast, The Raven Prince, Lord of Darkness, Duke of Midnight, and To Seduce a Sinner. And that is even difficult to narrow down to.

That being said the Raven Prince is her debut novel and is excellent, so its a good place to start.

Oh, I really like Sara from Dreaming of You, Beth (The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie), Amelia (Mine Till Midnight) and Jessica (Lord of Scoundrels). All of them are strong, intelligent women, that stand up for themselves and are freaking cool all the way.

Plus, I love Lillian (It Happened One Autumn), even tho I usually don't like characters that are too much stubborns. But you know, It's imposible not to like her!

And then there's Izzy (Romancing the Duke), Sophie (The Rogue Not Taken) and Penelope Romancing Mister Bridgerton); all of them has a special space in my heart, since they're such sweethearts. <333

Ally wrote: "Denise wrote: "Oh, I really like Sara from Dreaming of You, Beth (The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie), Amelia (Mine Till Midnight) and Jessica ([book:Lord ..."

LOL, I am right there with you ... I have been debating on what to read next, perfect time for a re-read.

My all time favourite heroine is Alaina from Ashes in the Wind.

Other favourites:
Amy Malory from The Magic of You. She knows who she wants and did all she could to get him.

Brenna from Fires of Winter and Kristen from Hearts Aflame.

Hyacinth and Penelope from Bridgertons series.

Pippa from One Good Earl Deserves a Lover and Mara from No Good Duke Goes Unpunished.

So many of you have reminded me of heroine's I forgot to mention!

Beatrix Hathaway was just so sweet and funny with her inability to control her animals. She shows up with some odd pet throughout the whole Hathaway Series.

Gio wrote: "

Beatrix Hathaway was just so sweet and funny with her inability to control her animals. She shows up with some odd pet throughout the whole Hathaway Series."

I love her and her pets. Mostly when I think of Lisa Kleypas books, I remember her Heroes. I like her heroes more than her heroines. But Beatrix and Lillian are the exceptions.

I love many of my heroines, but my 3 favorites are Amelia Peabody from her series starting with CROCODILE ON THE SANDBANK, Lady Lara Hawksworth from Lisa Kleypas's A STRANGER IN MY ARMS, and the indomitable Penelope Ravenel from DEVIL IN SPRING.

Gio wrote: "

Beatrix Hathaway was just so sweet and funny with her inability to control her animals. She shows up with some odd pet throughout the whole Hathaway Series."

I love Beatrix also! And this book!

Gio wrote: "

Beatrix Hathaway was just so sweet and funny with her inability to control her animals. She shows up with some odd pet throughout the whole Hathaway Series."

OMG, yes to Bea! I loved her!
Actually, I don't remember disliking any of the heroines from the Hathaway series... And that's pretty cool, because all the girls has very different personalities, but they are all lovely at their own way.

..... ok, now a I want to re-read the serie, too. Hehe...

Jane Austen was brought up on the heroes thread, but she has some great heroines as well. My favorite is Elinor, she has that internal strength I so admire. I also love Elizabeth, for intelligence and wit and for being able to recognize the truth even when it went against her pre-conceived notions.

Joanna wrote: "Jane Austen was brought up on the heroes thread, but she has some great heroines as well. My favorite is Elinor, she has that internal strength I so admire. I also love Elizabeth, for intelligence ..."

Elinor is a good heroine for those reasons, but she deserved better than Edward Farrars.

Over in the Jane Austen group, he's perhaps the least favorite of JAs heroes.

Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "Joanna wrote: "Jane Austen was brought up on the heroes thread, but she has some great heroines as well. My favorite is Elinor, she has that internal strength I so admire. I also love Elizabeth, fo..."

I won't dispute that, not sure if he is my least favorite but certainly not my favorite. Elinor deserved a lot better than her lot in life. I am still lurking, getting the lay of the land in the JA group but look forward to discussing these points.

Who is your least favorite JA hero?

Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "Over in the Jane Austen group, he's perhaps the least favorite of JAs heroes. ."

I can totally relate to that. He's definitely the least deserving of her heroes.

Oh I forget about Edmund Bartram From Mansfield Park. Some folks in JA group don't care for him either, but Edward F. Is my least favorite.

Edward is not a bad fellow, but he doesn't have much personality. He's a good guy I guess, and he has the good sense to live Elinor.

Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "Oh I forget about Edmund Bartram From Mansfield Park. Some folks in JA group don't care for him either, but Edward F. Is my least favorite."

While he's not my favorite, I liked Edmund a lot. He's sweet, caring, protective and loyal. He doesn't care about social class and accepts Fanny for who she is.

Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "Oh I forget about Edmund Bartram From Mansfield Park. Some folks in JA group don't care for him either, but Edward F. Is my least favorite.

Edward is not a bad fellow, but he doesn't have much per..."

Yea, I don't like Edmund much. I always find myself rooting for Henry Crawford. I think Fanny and Edmund are both too serious for each other. Also they are first cousins, which I can never quite get over.

Other than that, I do agree Edward doesn't have much personality. If it weren't for Edmund, he would be my least favorite.

Lauren,

I liked Edmund too. I thought he was a good fellow for the reasons you mentioned.

He was so nice to Fanny, was the only one for a long time who cared about her comfort especially (view spoiler)[tried to make it possible for her to continue to ride (horses) after old gray pony died. (hide spoiler)]

Joanna wrote: "Yea, I don't like Edmund much. I always find myself rooting for Henry Crawford. I think Fanny and Edmund are both too serious for each other. Also they are first cousins, which I can never quite get over. "


Henry Crawford is so smarmy though, lol!

I agree that the first cousins thing is problematic, but then it was quite acceptable and even encouraged back then for cousins to marry.

Joanna,

At that time it was ok for cousins to marry. In some places even today, it's ok for first cousins to marry. But my relationships with my own first cousins is very close--almost sibling-like, though they are all very good-looking.

Lauren wrote: "Joanna wrote: "Yea, I don't like Edmund much. I always find myself rooting for Henry Crawford. I think Fanny and Edmund are both too serious for each other. Also they are first cousins, which I can..."

He is....it is obviously a worthless cause... just rooting for a different outcome I guess

And it was perfectly acceptable, but they also partially grew up together as brother and sister (granted Fanny was always treated like the poor relation she was by most of the family), so that is part of my issue.

I think this just goes to my tastes... not a fan of ward-to-lover tropes but I do love a villain to hero trope.

I do like Edmund as a character for the reasons listed above, and I will allow for those reasons, he may be a better hero than Edward. You may have convinced me. Will need to re-read these novels before making up my mind. I also concede my opinions on S&S are influenced greatly by the 1995 movie, which I adore.

Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "Joanna,

At that time it was ok for cousins to marry. In some places even today, it's ok for first cousins to marry. But my relationships with my own first cousins is very close--almost sibling-lik..."

Apparently it took me forever to write my last post. I have been OK with the first cousins marriage in other novels-- The Moonstone for example, which granted is not a romance but does have a romantic element. I think it's more their sibling-like relationship earlier in the novel that makes it less OK for me.

Well if you need to reread,

There is a second group read of Mansfield Park coming up in the JA group.

Some of these ladies have serious lit crit on JA books. I usually read more of THEIR comments than weighing in myself.

I think we are waiting for a certain member to return home to NZ from vacation. I think she's home on the 18th of the month.

It wasn't official that we wait for her, but she asked if we could wait for her and nobody proposed that we begin sooner, so...

Joanna wrote: element. I think it's more their sibling-like relationship earlier in the novel that makes it less OK for me.

Yeah, I'll concede the issue of growing up in the same house. But Edmund is the only person in (view spoiler)[that house/estate who has ever shown her any consideration. (hide spoiler)]

A comment elsewhere reminded me that Freyja Bedwyn of Slightly Scandalous belongs here. She is a strong, feisty and independent woman, but still a woman of her time. I like that although not 'traditionally' beautiful, she is full of sexy, charismatic charm and character.

of course many many people have listed the classics!! JA eliz bennett... LK's Evie in Devil in winter... JB's heroines in guilty pleasures and 'and then he kissed her'... most of Tessa Dares heroines! particularly Minerva in 'a week to be wicked'...

but .. haven't heard mention on here amazing heroines...

annette de villiers in joanna bournes 'a spymasters lady'...

annabelle in maya rodale's 'seducing mr knightley'... happy reading folks!!! highly recommend those ones!!

A new one to add to this list Severine from Beauty Like the Night. Amazing and kick ass - my favorite type of heroine.

I have realized recently that the heroine often makes or breaks a book for me. If the heroine is great but the hero is just OK, I like it a lot better than if the situation is reversed. I think I may be in the minority here. Thoughts/preferences?

Joanna wrote: "I have realized recently that the heroine often makes or breaks a book for me. If the heroine is great but the hero is just OK, I like it a lot better than if the situation is reversed. I think I m..."

It is usually the hero who offends me. While I do not enjoy insipid heroines, I am usually more forgiving with the women. A great book needs a good or redeemable H and h.

Yea, I can see that. I guess a better way to put my POV is I need the heroine to be relatable. So she can be insecure and damaged, I just need to understand where she's coming from more than I need it from the Hero, typically - probably for the obvious reason that I am not a man.

Joanna wrote: "I have realized recently that the heroine often makes or breaks a book for me. If the heroine is great but the hero is just OK, I like it a lot better than if the situation is reversed. I think I m..."

Oh definitely Joanna. I lose interest in a book pretty quickly if the h is weak or tstl.

I just discovered a new heroine I really like: Pandora in Devil in Spring She is fresh, original and delightful. Charmingly innocent and naive, but still independently-minded, clever and determined. I loved her!

Jan130 wrote: "Joanna wrote: "I have realized recently that the heroine often makes or breaks a book for me. If the heroine is great but the hero is just OK, I like it a lot better than if the situation is revers..."

Pandora is a great one, completely agree. Great add!

Joanna wrote: "Yea, I can see that. I guess a better way to put my POV is I need the heroine to be relatable. So she can be insecure and damaged, I just need to understand where she's coming from more than I need..."

Yes, that's it. Agreed.

With it fresh in my mind, Annique Villiers from The Spymaster's Lady is a badass heroine.

To many to name and too many to remember!

Mariana wrote: "Joanna wrote: "Yea, I can see that. I guess a better way to put my POV is I need the heroine to be relatable. So she can be insecure and damaged, I just need to understand where she's coming from m..."

I'm also more forgiving of the men because I need to identify with the heroine and if she is TSTL or whiny or insipid then I cannot relate to her and it ruins the story and the romance for me.

I accept that men are often jerks and need to be redeemed.