The Bite Lecture Series on Romance Fiction: Romance Heroines Are Not Sissies, So Man Up Part 2

[oldbitey]

Yep. You heard that right. It’s a taboo to be 45 and in love... in Contemporary romance.

I’m being specific about contemporary romance fiction for a reason. I've always loved interplay of real life with the fantasy part of falling in love. That's why contemporary rom is what I most enjoy reading, it’s what I write, and what I’ve noticed is oddly

Comments

[dr_laura_v]

I wonder how much of this has to do with the assumption that women should want children. I know it's possible to get pregnant in one's forties, but it's relatively rare to have one when over 45. So part of the dearth of older heroines could have something to do with the idea that the happy ending should include babies. Obviously there are some romance heroines who make it very clear that they want to stay child-free (Crusie's got one of those heroines too, in Bet Me) but there don't seem to be very many of them.

Of course, this wouldn't explain the lack of over-forty single-mother heroines or over-forty heroines who get together with a hero who has a child/children. Still, I think it might be a factor, particularly given how many romance readers seem to find romances with babies on the covers ultra-appealing.

[oldbitey]

Howdy, Dr Laura,
I've considered the child angle as a reason for the dearth of older heroines and I believe that is part of the issue for some readers and publishers. There are those who can't separate romance from the path that MUST lead the heroine to marriage and babies. As a romance reader I'm there for the development of the romantic relationship, not the baby. There's room for the romance to family fantasy, but there's also a space for the romance fantasy to include women like Crusie's Min, in Bet Me.

I'm not in the cover with a kid camp. I don't find them appealing. Of course, that could be a result of my age, but I didn't find them appealing when I was younger either.

Thanks for the comment!
OB

[dr_laura_v]

"I'm not in the cover with a kid camp. I don't find them appealing."

Neither do I. I've never thought dirty nappies and broken nights are romantic. But I think I recall reading that babies on covers increase sales.

[ext_550798]

This also leads to genius savant heroines who have achieved remarkable career success at 30-35 (a good 10 years ahead of real life) and that drives me bonkers. If I read one more 32 year old CEO, Pulitzer prize winner, bestest and most famous ever surgeon, journalist, lawyer, artist, author, vet, scientist, horse trainer...well, you get the picture.

Susan Grant's The Star King struck me with her (gasp!) 46 year old heroine when I first read it and has stuck with me. She got full heroine treatment-- hot alpha hero and grand adventure. This non paranormal heroine's grown children later got their own books.

Another grrrrrr is 55-65 year old parents portrayed as doddering, out of touch old codgers. WTF? That is so not my generation! I am not Aunt Bea.

[oldbitey]

Thanks you for a book suggestion! I'm always on the lookout for novels to add to my textual analysis. Would you consider The Star King Contemporary romance or does it lean towards the Hen/Matron Lit camp?

heh

[ext_551431]

You said agency. :)

Re: heh

[oldbitey]

I'm trying out all kinds of academic writerly words. I'm waiting for a good time to slip in the expression "a clear feminist pedagogical aim."

Re: heh

[ext_551431]

You could write about the discursive epistemology of the fissiparous tendencies of topoi in various romance liter-ah-ture texts.

hehehe...

*runs before Saschakeet smacks her*

Re: heh

[oldbitey]

Snort! I do have to treat my readers gently, but I do like the word fissiparous almost as much as steatopygic.

[ext_550798]

I refuse to look up any more of Dhympna's silly words which I suspect are dirty.

The Star King is straight up romance. Of course, the hero is alien royalty from outer space, but he is hot and gloms right onto the 46 year old earthling.

[ext_551431]

At least I did not use trope.

:)

[ext_550798]

Did you call me a matron? *swoons*