I like to read about her frizzy hair, a belly that shows her love of chocolate and some occasional lipstick on teeth. I admit, it gives me a complex. Not a ton, just a few here and there. That’s why I really liked Historical Romance has plenty of Wallflower (aka 18Ruby Dixon has become a staple of my reading diet. A few months ago our house was battling multiple head colds, strep throat, stomach viruses, basically we were The House of Sick. And how about a few plain Janes who know that they are all that and don’t need a guy to validate them?
So, I have put together a top three of my favorite “Plain Janes” across three different genres to spread that love around.I’ve found that within a Plain Jane story the heroine will change in some way and suddenly, WHAM! Not in romance novels. But it’s also because there are a lot of good authors writers writing really interesting, dynamic, and—dare I say—badass female characters. Actually, hyperbole aside, there are novels out there who have unattractive heroines, but all too often they are paired with some hot, Greek-god of a hero and it’s his notice that changes everything. Hi, I love reading books with the ugly duckling theme. She has to wear glasses and be a geek. And hair – long or short he’s either got to have it or he’s got to intentionally shave it because his skull is just that gorgeous. I love our genre and it’s cute, pretty, and gorgeous girls, it’s alpha bikers, and billionaire businessmen. Where the heroines are mousey, shy, plain etc but they have the romance storyline with the hero. There are precious few that don’t fit this mold.
Photo credit: RUNSTUDIO, DigitalVision/Getty Images. And while there may be a plethora of cocky “book bad-boys” out there (taming them and the wild ride getting there is always fun), hermit romance books are kinder of hard to come by. (Contemporary Romance) I’ve found that within a Plain Jane story the heroine will change in some way and suddenly, WHAM! Everyone realises she isn’t quite as plain as they thought. Might be fun.Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Romance novels are increasingly featuring characters in their 40s, 50s and 60s to appeal to boomer readers looking for heros and heroines in their demo. What if the heroine likes those ill-fitting clothes and prefers wearing glasses? Actually, hyperbole aside, there are novels out there who have unattractive heroines, but all too often they are paired with some hot, Greek-god of a hero … 1. If you want to be awesome, you’ve got to be considered hot. And anything that allows me to eat chocolate unhindered is golden. I know I can sit down with my chocolate bar, that’s at least the size of my head, without feeling guilt, as I won’t be comparing myself to an unattainable paragon of womanhood. And they’ve gotta be built with great abs. One of my recent favourites is Veronica from Here you'll find all collections you've created before. Maybe she stops wearing ugly, ill-fitting clothes, loses weight or start wearing contact lenses, whatever it is she changes. Jane Eyre. For all feminism has done for the cause of female empowerment and equality, it hasn’t put a dent in this. The heroine eats many, many donuts. They have to be tall, Adonis-like, and usually rich or at least powerful in some way – an artist or musician or a biker. Ever since … Maybe something similar to Jane Eyre, but I wouldn't necessarily call Rochester "hot", or even Jane "ugly… For fun, try Janet Evanovich's Plum series. I just love her books. It brings her to life in a way that a Greek goddess of a heroine never could.As this is the case, if I see a book has been categorized as a Plain Jane or Wallflower story, I am all over it. Dang, we’re hard on the guys.I know Romance is the place we go for a fantasy, but if we can tackle the tough stuff, why can’t we have believable heroes? She has to have a weakness for bad men, be smoking hot, and like to get naked – a lot.