Happily Ever After Cafe discussion

Anyone know any good HEAs with plain janes as the main character?

I'm just reading . The heroine is really plain with a scarred cheek. This is such a refreshing historical,there's so much in it and the romance is different and the writing engaging. Oh, and there is a great HEA.

My all time favorite plain Jane is

Some books I enjoyed with Plain janes are

Isn't it awful that I anytime someone asks for a recommendation, my mind completely blanks on almost every book I ever read?

Abigail wrote: "Isn't it awful that I anytime someone asks for a recommendation, my mind completely blanks on almost every book I ever read?"

If I could have a penny for every time that thought crossed my mind...*sigh*
However it does help to know I'm not alone. Thank goodness for tags, or I would never be able to find any book. Recently, I have been looking for a book that the only thing I can remember is that the woman on the cover was wearing a beautiful yellow dress.....needle/haystack...

I love plain jane heroines. I despise perfect heroines with perfect hair and perfect figures. I certainly don't know any women who look like that in real life, so I really gravitate to imperfect heroines as well. Especially when the hero takes one look at them and thinks, "Ah. Perfect."

Some of my favorites


I can't remember any for contemporary romance, except maybe
and

Sheesh, questions like these tend to leave my mind blank! Lol Um...the only one that comes to my mind at the moment is

Glad I'm not alone in the drawing-a-blank category.

If not for my shelves, I'd be in the same boat ☺

Yea, it makes me feel stupid. Lol

Shelves are great.

I should use mine more...

I love plain Jane heroines! I am struggling with a question, and I'd love input from the group! I want to write a novel with a curvier heroine, but not classified as obese. It is really hard though. From reviews I've read of books like this, people get annoyed when you have a size ten heroine who considers herself overweight and struggles with size a bit. I know that as a size 10 or even 12, she isn't considered skinny by society standards, but she isn't extremely overweight. So, my question is this: Is is okay to write a heroine that is "average" and still make her lovable? Would you feel annoyed with a character that gets insecure and calls herself at plus sized or overweight as a size 10?


Apologizes if this is the wrong place to post this. If it is, let me know and I will move it :)

I think height makes a difference too. I was 5'4" and in a size 10 for a while but no one would call me skinny but I wasn't obese. I could have lost 15 or 20 pounds and been fine. At a taller height say 5'6" then a size 10 would be a nice slender weight. Obese to me would be up there at a size 18 or above.

Winnie wrote: "I love plain Jane heroines! I am struggling with a question, and I'd love input from the group! I want to write a novel with a curvier heroine, but not classified as obese. It is really hard though..."

I have a couple of thoughts; first that what Pam says is true. How large ( i.e. size) is really relative. (Also, a size ten in the US is not the same as it is Europe or other countries.)

I think, whether she is a ten or eighteen, how comfortable i am with it in the story depends on whether she is neurotic about it and how the hero sees her! I think so many women would describe themselves as curvy, chunky, heavy etc. regardless of the actual size but he should think they are just lovely....I love the books that women are or become comfortable in their own skin...

I don't see these woman as plain either. That to me is a different kind of appearance issue than size.
Just my thoughts...

I love plus size heroines. Plus sized to me means 14 and up in American sizes. I get through that others might really want to see a woman that is more of a 20 plus. Plus size and plain are not the same thing. A woman can be plus sized and plain but plus sized does not equal plain.

I really prefer a woman's size being a part of her character development or building of a round (in the literary sense) character and not the plot or really the conflict.

Self esteem issues as conflict for a plus sized character are really not that interesting and demeaning rather than empowering.

For example, a woman who is bigger might like more sedentary activities. She might love to eat. She might be a sensualist. Some larger sized woman are actually quite fit. The hero might just love her booty. She might really like tall big men because of her own size.

I am not saying she doesn't have any issues with her size. It is hard in our culture not to at times. Kristen Ashley handles size issues with good character integration and subtlety.

And sometimes a larger weight is connected to other issues (molest, depression) but sometimes they are not. I just don't like stock plus sized characters.

If a woman sized is a health issue and perhaps limits her in some ways--she can't do activities she would like to do or has some health issues associated with it-like in Pepper Pace's Beast, this is another good example of the weight being a part of the character.

So, basically, self esteem issues connected to weight that are done tritely--no bueno. It is more engaging for the character to actually like her body and the conflict to come from elsewhere but, of course, there are exceptions.

I actually read a book a couple weeks ago called No Words by R.N. Adams whose female lead is a plus size female.

I loved how she was written. She acknowledges her size, but she does it in a humorous, at times the self-deprecating kind, of way. She owns it, but also turned it into a strength for her in that she became a famous health guru. She has her moments where her insecurities about spring up, but she goes to her method of fighting it.

She's a great and charming heroine. Plus, her male counterpart who's also a workout fiend like her finds her attractive.

So I agree that it depends on how the female character is written. There's got to be a good balance between the good and the bad.

I don't mind plus size heroine's as long as they don't spend the entire book whining about there size. But, technically a size 10 isn't plus size so I wouldn't call her that in the book if you go with a size 10, that is more curvy than plus size.

Steamywindows♥♫ wrote: "Winnie wrote: "I love plain Jane heroines! I am struggling with a question, and I'd love input from the group! I want to write a novel with a curvier heroine, but not classified as obese. It is rea..."


I agree! And I sometimes think the women who are described as plain in stories are the only ones who seem themselves that way! So it is all relative and totally depends on how they deal with insecurities. :)

Melissa wrote: "I don't mind plus size heroine's as long as they don't spend the entire book whining about there size. But, technically a size 10 isn't plus size so I wouldn't call her that in the book if you go ..."

Merci!! Agreed, I think curvy is way more accurate!

I agree with Pamela about the height with size. The smallest I've ever been as an adult was a size 12 and I was thin, could see my hipbones and actually had that flat tummy thing going on. I'd freakin kill to be that size again. I'm 5'8" and wear a size 24 now, and yea, I'm seriously 'plus-sized' now but I wasn't when I was size 12. :)
I kinda like seeing bigger heroines, as long as having her get a makeover and lose weight isn't a part of the story. I want her to be strong and loved as is, not under the conditions that she gets thin. Like, the hero never notices her til she loses weight, that'll turn me right off.
But plain heroines? Hmmm... I know I've read some. I think it was maybe Scandal is one, where even the hero admits she's not beautiful, but she is to him.

Yes, Kit, exactly.

I, too, love it when the hero sees beauty where no one else does.

Pamela(AllHoney) wrote: "Yes, Kit, exactly.

I, too, love it when the hero sees beauty where no one else does."

when the plain Jane stays plain, she doesn't turn into a swan, yet he does come to see her as lovely?

yes or he sees her as lovely from the start.

Pamela(AllHoney) wrote: "yes or he sees her as lovely from the start."

Oh yes that is lovely.

Yep. And I dislike make overs too.

Steamywindows♥♫ wrote: "Pamela(AllHoney) wrote: "Yes, Kit, exactly.

I, too, love it when the hero sees beauty where no one else does."

when the plain Jane stays plain, she doesn't turn into a swan, yet he does come to ..."

I want the hero to think her beautiful before a makeover.

Yep. Just read Wonderful Plain Jane. She is skinny. :)

This looks good americanwordcat! Thank you.

Pamela(AllHoney) wrote: "I want the hero to think her beautiful before a makeover."

I agree! Kinda feels icky that he notices her AFTER the makeover...

I, too, love it when the hero sees beauty where no one else does.

I think that's why, among some other reasons, is one of my favorite books. Everyone thinks she is plain, but he only sees her beauty and thinks everyone else is nuts.

Yes, that is what appeals to me about that book, too, Kristi. I bought it; I just have to read it. ☺

Lisa Kay wrote: "Yes, that is what appeals to me about that book, too, Kristi. I bought it; I just have to read it. ☺"

Your "to read" pile must be enormous! It's a good thing you're a voracious reader!!

True. LOL!

Twilight Saga! Bella was worse than a "plain jane"!!

Yes, she was.

I so damn hated her.....ugh!

I can recommend a couple of Regencies with "plain Jane" heroines that I really enjoyed:

(heroine wears glasses and has arthritis as well) and

Oh, goodie. Thanks tons, Gerrie.

I don't know why I said goodie. I just bought the two I didn't have. You're making me dip into next month's book budget money, Gerrie. B.A.D. Gerrie.

lol Book budget? huh interesting concept.

You don't think I stick to it - ever - do you? LOL!

I don't really set it. I try to off set it with book sharing, Lendle, the library, and arcs lol. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

That's a great idea.

There is a giveaway in exchange for a review - offered to HEAC members first - here that looks like it is about a 'Plain Jane,' if anyone is interested.

Lisa Kay wrote: "There is a giveaway in exchange for a review - offered to HEAC members first - here that looks like it is about a 'Plain Jane,' if anyone is interested.

"

Thanks, Lisa! :)

Whoa. Gerrie! I just have to tell you how much I LOVED . What an amazing book - of the caliber you don't often find in publications of that sort. Truly a story of the power of unconditional love.

This was a "new to me" author; I'm going to stop praising the book a go look for more jewels written by her.

BTW, thank you, Gerrie!