In my mind, some of the best heroes are dark and brooding and super damaged. My readers are used to growly men who grow through the love of a woman. Alpha men are popular and we are willing to forgive their less pleasant personality traits.
What’s interesting is that readers seem less willing to forgive heroines. How many times have you read a review of a book and the person doesn’t like the heroine. She’s too hard, she’s a “bitch”, she doesn’t deserve the hero.
Characters have to grow or else their journey isn’t that interesting. I’ve written plenty of very nice heroines, who discover their strength in the course of a book, but I’ve also written a few harder women. Women who might do things we don’t love because, just like those alpha men, they have been hurt, or they want to protect someone they love, or they are just afraid.
In Beauty and the Earl, my heroine makes some questionable choices. But they lead her to the hero and to what I hope is some real development. I hope that readers will look past her beginnings and see her reasons and her motives.
We’re harder on heroines, but I think if we can see past their choices, we can enjoy their journeys as much as those growly, alpha heroes that make our hearts flutter.
Do YOU think we judge heroines more harshly? And do you have a favorite heroine who starts out imperfect?
