Tuesday Book Chat | Is It More Important to Like the Hero or Heroine in a Romance Novel?

Posted byJenny Blake @ausjenny 9 Comments on Tuesday Book Chat | Is It More Important to Like the Hero or Heroine in a Romance Novel?

Welcome to Tuesday Book Chat. This is where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week.

Today’s question is:

Is it more important to like the hero or heroine in a romance novel?

We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Please join in the conversation by commenting on this post or on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.

Let’s chat!

It’s a tough question as I have quit reading due to dislike of both. The most recent was cos I couldn’t handle the hero being arrogant and self-entitled. On the other hand, I have quit reading because of the Heroine’s behaviour and being too insipid. I have wanted to quit for the reverse reasons too (an overly entitled brat for a heroine). I know this isn’t an answer, but it really depends on the book. It can also depend on the genre, but I probably need to like the Heroine.

Your turn.

I look forward to reading your comments here or at the FB group. Remember all comments go into the monthly drawer for a gift voucher.

Author

  • Jenny Blake @ausjenny

    Jenny Blake (Ausjenny) is a cricket fanatic who loves reading although not reading as much as she use to. She loves to be able to help promote good Christian books and support authors. In her spare time she is enjoying the company of her two cats, enjoys jigsaws and watching cricket.

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Published by Jenny Blake @ausjenny

Jenny Blake (Ausjenny) is a cricket fanatic who loves reading although not reading as much as she use to. She loves to be able to help promote good Christian books and support authors. In her spare time she is enjoying the company of her two cats, enjoys jigsaws and watching cricket.

9 replies on “Tuesday Book Chat | Is It More Important to Like the Hero or Heroine in a Romance Novel?”

  1. Hi Jenny

    I really need to like both of them. They don’t need to be perfect (in fact, if they come across as perfect, I’m not interested 😁) but they do need to be likeable in some way or at least have some redeeming features.

  2. I’d say the heroine in particular. I’ve ended up liking books when I didn’t like the guy to start with. However, if I dislike the girl, that’s much harder for me to overcome. It’s always best if I like both, but between the two, I need to like the girl.

    1. True I know in historical I struggle with the rich entitled brats who have everything done for me. It is probably cos I would have been the servant back than

  3. Hi Jenny, This is a hard question! If I’m reading a romance in first person and don’t like being in the viewpoint character’s head, irrespective of whether it’s the hero or heroine, I’ll DNF (did not finish) the book. The closeness of first person POV magnifies my like/dislike factor, and the viewpoint character must be likeable.

    For third person POV romances, I can initially dislike the heroine and keep reading if I like the hero. The caveat is I need to understand why the heroine is the way she is, and also see the potential for her to grow as a person during the story. If the heroine doesn’t have flaws and is too perfect, there is no story. That said, if the motivation to explain why the heroine is unlikable isn’t there, or isn’t clear at the start, I will DNF the book.

    If I dislike the hero, and think the heroine is too good for him, I may DNF the book. The hero needs heroic traits, and reasons (motivation) to explain why he behaves in certain ways. If he’s not potential husband material, and it’s not a redemption-themed romance, and he doesn’t grow in the story, I’ll quit reading by the middle of the story.

    All that to say I can read and enjoy romances with unlikeable heroes and heroines if the motivation is there to explain why. Turn to Me by Becky Wade is an example of a romance where I really didn’t like either the hero or the heroine at the start, but ended up loving the story by the end.

    1. I understand as it really depends on the book. I know a recent DNF was I couldn’t handle the hero’s thoughts of being above doing things and feeling people were out to get him. I know he came from nothing to be where he is now and not liking reminders but I couldn’t deal with him. It could be I have had dealings with people who were dirt poor then got a well paying job, new house and status and it changed them to the same sort of thoughts not wanting to be around those who knew where they came from.
      in first person I struggle at times being in their head also.

  4. Hmmm, I don’t tend to read romance as a genre but enjoy it as a secondary element to other genres such as mystery or contemporary. If the hero or heroine is unlikeable initially there must be good reason and they must redeem themselves by the end … enter Mr Darcy … :o)

    If the protagonist is the female I really need to at least relate to her if I can’t like her. And by the end of the novel I definitely want to like her or I’ll feel cheated. I don’t mind serious flaws in characters because that’s realistic. However, by the end of the novel I want to feel that they deserve what they’ve gained.

    1. I agree (except don’t hate me but I don’t get Mr Darcy at all).
      we need to see redeeming qualities.

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