I like sweet heroines. Not doormats, but sensible heroines who don’t feel the need to prove a point. One of my favorite heroine was Summer from Katherine Sutcliffe’s Dreamfever. She was feisty, gentle and had a great sense of humor. She knew how to handle the brooding hero without resorting to bitchiness.
That’s not to say that most heroines do resort to this horrid behavior, but I’ve found that in many historical romance novels, when it involves a TSTL, or Too Stupid to Live heroine, she usually exhibits unwarranted bitchiness, and it is lovingly described as her being spirited. *rolls eyes* Case in point. There’s a novel I read, can’t remember the name of it, and don’t want to. The heroine yelled, insulted and refused to listen to any advice the hero gave her. This hero did not abuse her, or ill treat her, but she did not want to be stifled by a man, so she had to demonstrate her “feistiness”. Well it came at a cost. The hero warned her that there was a roving band of criminals lurking nearby and she was not to leave the property because of this. Being TSTL she believes him cruel and that he is abusing her by telling her this. She convinces a worried friend to accompany her exactly where the hero tells her not to go. The poor friend ends up being gangraped and almost killed by the criminals, and nothing happens to HER. I wanted TSTL heroine to die. And not once did she admit fault in not taking more caution. I’m just happy that these type of heroines are being phased out. Things like that leave me upset for days even though it is only fiction.
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Thank you! I hate those heroines. Thank God, I can’t seem to be able to write them. I like strong, take charge women. Who are smart enough to know when they need help and when to ask for it.
I detest TSTL heroines, especially when authors mistake bitchiness and idiocy for high spirits or feistiness. Yuck.
I noticed you over at Julia’s blog and thought I’d check out your blog. 🙂
This always cracks me up. I think of bad 1980’s horror movies every time I pick up a book with a TDTL heroine. Great blog!
Avril- For real. I’m happy that I just don’t have it in me to put the effort into creating idiotic heroines as TSTL. Those women are just so unrealistic.
Julia- It’s always like that, and the hero, dummy that he is, usually thinks fondly of this behavior too and finds it charming and alluring. Go figure.
Ciara- thanks for checking out my blog. I love Julia’s blog too. It really is like a horror movie. lol. you’re right. Except that in the books they don’t die. I’d happily give up a HEA just to have a TSTL heroine get a hard lesson in life. Like when Rhett walked away from Scarlet.