Different Kind of Heroes and Heroines

by Suzanne

I'm a romance novel addict. Everyone knows it. I don't see a need to change or am in any need of an intervention. Nope, like myself just like this. But there is one thing I do get tired of. Perfection. Physical perfection. In either the hero or the heroine.

Hero: Tall, dark, brooding, sexy. Maybe a bad boy with abs to die for. Maybe he has a sculpted face, with a scar down one side.Or maybe a cool, aloof once jilted blond rake, cynicism masks the pride he has in his own beauty, a male beauty that attracts young women and their scheming mamas.

Heroine: Tall, lithe, long flowing blonde locks. Or perhaps she has a black bob and a compact, petite body, seeming in need of protection, but capable of taking out a platoon of bad guys. Or maybe a sassy redhead sculpted to seduce every man who comes near.

Sigh.

Yes, it's fiction. But just like too many packages of Whoppers stolen from the kids' Halloween buckets, (Oh, wait that's me), anyways, too much of a good thing, well, it can either give you a toothache or a bellyache!

Occasionally there's a hero or heroine who is less than physically perfect. A love story that touches your heart. The hero is bald. The heroine a super tall, gangly mess with no social skills and an ability to blend into the woodwork in a room alone. Perhaps the heroine or hero is fat. OMG. Did I just say that about a romance character? Could it be possible? Could one or both be on the large size and still be worthy of love? Really?

Actually, one of my favorite books, WISHES by Jude Devereaux, features just this sort of heroine. Nelly Grayson, a plump, kind and hardworking heroine takes backseat to her thinner, beautiful sister, until a new man comes to town. Jace Montgomery is able to see past Nellie and her sister's outer trappings to the soul inside, and falls in love with Nellie. I LOVED this book, especially when Nellie realizes that even when she starts mysteriously losing weight that Jace loved her just the way she was. Sigh.

So why this wanting the less than perfect hero or heroine? Mike & Molly. Yep, the new CBS comedy. If y'all haven't seen it, I have to tell you, when he kisses her the first time, it makes you go, Yeah!!! with a fist pump.

Uhm, did I tell you how they met?

Over eaters anonymous.

This show is funny and touching by turns. It makes me laugh and gives me the "ahhhh" moments, too!

Recently someone did a blog titled, "fatties get a room". Didn't read it, didn't plan to. Why can't the hero and heroine on TV or in a book, or hell, just walking down the street, hold hands and have a very tender kiss? Yeah....that's what I'd like to see. Some regular peoples finding love!!!

Another actress I love to see doing romantic movies, is Queen Latifah. She's beautiful and not a size 0. She's talented both in singing, (Have you heard her Dana Owens album?) and in acting. I recently watched  Just Wright. She was magnificent in it! I also loved her in Last Holiday. Both movies gave her the hero in the end, but I think mostly she sparkled as the heroine finding herself and discovering she was worth a good man's love, even if he wasn't smart enough to figure it out at first.

So, have you seen Mike & Molly? Have you seen a movie or TV show where the heroine or hero is not body perfect and still gets the guy or girl in the end? How about another great book with a plus size heroine for me to read?