There is a classic romance trope of the virginal heroine meeting the experienced hero and learning all about sex with him. (And magically it’s perfect that first time!) While there can be appeal there, I’d much rather see realistic women in my romance novels.
Women can be harder on the sexually experienced heroine. We even see authors including bits of the character explaining an active past in an effort of justification. I don’t blame those authors as our culture has built a stigma around women who know what they want in the bedroom.
Luckily, the tide is turning. We’ve begun to see more books released with heroines who aren’t ashamed of their bodies or desires.
And it’s pretty excellent.
Cassie Alexander’s Nightshifted has an unapologetically sexually active heroine. Edie works the nightshift at a hospital taking care of sick supernaturals. Makes it hard to meet a nice guy and harder to maintain a relationship. In the novel, we see her blow off steam by getting dolled up, heading to a nightclub, and bringing home a very sexy man.
She’s fine with kicking him out in the morning. No shame. She got what she needed and it was time to move on her with her life. He was less pleased by the one-night action, and comes back until the two develop a relationship. He never judges her for bringing home the one-night guy, and readers shouldn’t either.
Edie isn’t the only one out to deal with mega stress by getting laid. Jessica McClain from Amanda Carlson’s Full Blooded is game to take advantage of the sexy werewolf at her place. You see, she’s just shifted for the first time and that breeds a hyped up sexuality. It’s normal in the werewolf culture (for this book) for wolves to hook up around a shift. It doesn’t mean anything more than good sex.
Her partner still checks, repeatedly, that she’s comfortable with it. Jessica gives the hell yeah and enjoys some smoking hot tension relief.
Later in the novel she meets the story’s love interest. There is no conflict about her past sexual encounters. She doesn’t consider her past and neither does he. They’re together now and it’s also super hot.
Sometimes this anti-slut-shaming thread doesn’t go with showing us the past encounters of the heroine, but making it clear they see sex as fun. It can be better with an emotional connection, but heroines like Jessie from Karina Cooper’s Blood of the Wicked are down for a little no-strings fun. Jessie is the one convincing her bodyguard Silas to kill time with her while naked. The good time eventually builds into something meaningful, but neither character is ashamed by their uncommitted sexual history.
Regardless of the means—carefree sexual relationships, booty calls or ignoring sexual pasts—I’m pleased to see authors take the steps to make sexually aggressive women a good thing. There is no slut shaming in these novels, and that makes them all the more romantic.
Some other great books with heroines who own their sexuality: Unholy Ghosts and Unholy Magic by Stacia Kane, Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione, Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook and Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett.
What books would you add to the list?
While Chelsea Mueller runs Vampire Book Club, she won’t turn down a sexy werewolf, demon or faerie. Her appreciation of Alexander Skarsgard is well documented. Bother her on Twitter — @ChelseaVBC — she likes it.
