My Top 9 Romantic Leading Ladies

Guest Post Re-Post: Originally posted 9/19/2013 on Simply Ali as a guest post. Part of my Crimson Dahlia blog tour organized by Paranormal Cravings.

I love doing posts that list things – favorite or most despised. It’s fun to think through all the possibilities for the list and narrow it down. It can also be self-revelatory to really think about why you like or dislike the list entries. As a writer, I often find it gives me better insight to the types of books/characters/situations/etc. that I want to write.

For this post, I thought it would be fun to do my top 10 female romantic leads. Here they are in no particular order. Enjoy!

She is sarcastic (in a subtle way), and funny, and intelligent, and independent, in an era when that was unpopular for women. And she also earns the heart of one of my favorite romantic heroes of all time – Mr. Darcy.

This woman is sass on a stick. She’s also very confident in her powers, is a fighter, and has no problem speaking her opinion. She’s the perfect foil for her romantic lead, Jared, who needs a bit of taking down a peg. And she delivers while still earning is love and respect.

Another sassy woman – particularly as she’s played by Jane Powell in the movie adaptation. She’s survived being orphaned in the Oregon wilderness days. She can stand up to the very strong character of Adam (her husband). She is a hard worker and stands on her own two feet.

Ms. Lindsey is one of my favorite pure romance authors. And Amy is one of my favorite characters of hers. Amy fights for the man she loves because he’s too hardheaded to admit he loves her. She wins him in the end with a combination of smarts, and sass, and an unconventional sense of humor.

Another one of my favorite pure romance authors, I found this book in a used bookstore when I was about 15 and it remains one of my favorites to this day. You can’t find it online. You have to go through used books to get a copy. I love Kim because she take an inheritance of a farm and actually tries to do something with it even though she’s a city girl – which takes guts. And her romance with Rafe O’Sullivan is worth the read.

Individual, intelligent, forgiving, independent – and all despite the era in which the book is set and was written. Jane Eyre was one of my favorite characters in high school when I first read the book and remains so to this day. She follows her heart, but remains loyal. She relies on herself to solve her own issues. She’s not afraid to stand up to Mr. Rochester and consequently wins his love.

Very smart, politically savvy, but can really put her foot in her mouth. She’s also clever, and tough, and not afraid to say her opinion. I love the interactions between her and Andy (POTUS). Some of my favorite dialogue in a movie. Quick witted and funny, but still intelligent.

Ms. Killough-Walden is one of my favorite paranormal romance authors on the market. This is 3^rd book in the Big Bad Wolf series, and one of my favorites of hers. Dannai (or Danny) is incredibly powerful but also a little afraid of who she is. She figures that out with Lucas Caige, a very strong, very gruff wolf shifter. Once again, love their interactions.

One of my favorite Shakespeare plays. I love Elizabeth Taylor’s portrayal of this character too. She’s strong, intelligent, and completely belligerent. It takes a stronger man to figure her out and bring out her softer side. And the interactions are hilarious.

After writing this, it struck me that I must have a thing for heroines that are sassy, smart, independent, and powerful in their own right. I also obviously enjoy a witty interaction between my romantic leads.

I had a lot of fun thinking through this list. I’d LOVE to hear about your own list of heroes/heroines. Who do you connect with?

Thank you to Ali for hosting me! I had a lot of fun writing this post.