The Lisine Epistle
As promised in Boozy Extra 11 (Book Club or Coup D’Etat), below is the Lisene Epistle, in all its glory.
I was very excited to listen to the BoozySitters Club Boozy Extra 9 (The Secret Life of Selena Montgomery) discussion about the Romance novel “Never Tell” by Selena Montgomery. While a new genre for Nell and Stephanie, I’m an avid Romance novel reader, preferring historical romances (mostly Regency and 13th Century Scottish), but with a sprinkling of contemporary romances added in. In its marketing, “Never Tell” is positioned as a psychological romance.
A question came up about the behavior of the male protagonist in “Never Tell.” He was very forward and “handsy” when meeting the female protagonist the first time, in a way that made Nell and Stephanie uncomfortable, and they wondered if this was what all Romance novels were like.
Before I jumped in to defend this favorite genre of mine (No! The men are always flawed, but wonderful and woke for their times!), I decided to read a couple of novels I had on hand to double check. I read a historical romance and a contemporary romance, and in both, the men were quite flawed, but respectful of women. While they might reach out and touch out of initial desire, they would never hold on if the woman pulled away.
As I thought more about “Never Tell,” I questioned whether it was a romance at all. It was definitely a psychological thriller/murder mystery, and I enjoyed the plot a lot though other readers should be warned that there are some very uncomfortable and violent situations.
I found it helpful to review the definition of what a romance novel is, as defined by the Romance Writers of America
Definition:
Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.
A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A writer can include as many subplots as he/she wants as long as the love story is the main focus of the novel.
An Emotionally Satisfying and Optimistic Ending: In a romance, the lovers who risk and struggle for each other and their relationship are rewarded with emotional justice and unconditional love.
Romance novels may have any tone or style, be set in any place or time, and have varying levels of sensuality—ranging from sweet to extremely hot. These settings and distinctions of plot create specific sub-genres within romance fiction.
I would argue that “Never Tell” fulfills the second part of the definition, but not the first. The main story seems to be solving the murder mystery, with the love story being second. But that’s open for debate.
Back to the original question – Do all romance heroes behave so aggressively with the female protagonists? And the answer is No, not by definition. I’m sure there are novels out there where the hero is aggressive, but I suspect that it would be written into the characterization of both characters better. To me, the one weakness in this book is that the romance hero character wasn’t written with more care or even to be likable. He needed to recognize the reactions of the female protagonist and understand that he should not push himself on her, but rather he should let her know – with words or deeds or both - that he’s there to support her so that, over time, she would become comfortable with him and go to him willingly. Holding her and touching her against her will, especially in this day and age, is just wrong, and would likely get him “punched in the dick” as Stephanie says. 😊
As an enthusiast of the genre and someone who loves a Happily Ever After Tale (HEAT) as a way to escape the world, I can say that what I love about the protagonists in these novels is that they are ideals. You want to be like one hero/heroine and meet/fall in love with the other hero/heroine, knowing full well that no one is that perfect, even though flaws are written in.
