The Good, The Bad and The Unread: One for the Money

I have decided I do not like a contemporary heroine who is broke. Like way broke... like tell me about how she can't pay her bills and is now living in a moving truck broke.

I don't think I want that much 'real life' in my romance novel. Not sure what that means. Could be why I don't read much in a contemporary setting but do like paranormals. And where I would most likely never be homeless (moving home would almost always be an option) if I want to read in detail about someone stressing to pay their bills, I will do MY bills.

Oddly enough more than one historical heroine has 'married for money' or whored herself out for it and I didn't have as much of a negative reaction as I did to the heroine in Lip Lock by Susanna Carr. Could be the setting or the writing just didn't click with me. And I never really understood the why of how the heroine got in the fix she was in.

She keeps talking about a loan and an ex boyfriend. Boyfriend, not hubby, so I am not sure why she was legally bound to pay. And there was talk of medical bills but a lot of it just didn't add up to me.

Go figure, anyone else read Lip Lock? Did you like it? What about other books by Susanna Carr?

9 Comments:

I never buy medical bills as an excuse for poverty in books, unless the H/h is recovering from cancer and even then I have a hard time buying it.

Reason being, that most hospitals will start sending by you bills. Then after a couple of months they offer to settle. The settlement amount is generally less than half the original amount. Then they'll set up a payment plan for you and will literally accept $5 a month if that's all you can afford to pay. My FIL paid for his cancer treatment that way.

It can make things very hard, and yes, there are people who were out of work for months etc. etc., but the knee-jerk "medical bills are terrible and everyone goes broke" assumption irks me.

I don't think I've read many books where the heroines are actually poor. I've read quite a few where they're just spoiled, and claim poverty while maxing their credit cards out on designer clothes. I'd like to read a romance heroine who shops at Target for once, you know, without it being an inspirational or something.

By Stacia, at 8/21/2006 06:43:00 AM
I haven't read Carr but I prefer these kind of heroines to the ones who have it all going on by age 28. You know, own their own business, have enough savings not to worry if they lose their job.

I end up with my brain going 'lucky bitch' and I don't really empathize. Now, someone struggling with who they are and not having a ton of money in the bank are definitely easier on my brain ;)

CindyS

By CindyS, at 8/21/2006 07:28:00 AM
I understand what you mean, Syb. I think it is when the author dwells on that to the exclusion of all other issues. It becomes tiresome. I found that to be true in a Stef Ann Holm book that I read.

By Anonymous, at 8/21/2006 07:44:00 AM
What irks me is when she has a Secret Baby, is broke - yet still doesn't tell the guy about the kid because heaven help her she wouldn't want him to pay child support!

And as for the loan - doesn't matter if he was a just a boyfriend or not. If she co-signed on the loan, she's just as obligated as he is. But I'm assuming the author didn't go into that great of detail :-)

By Wendy, at 8/21/2006 08:46:00 AM
Haven't read Carr.

I get what you're saying about not liking too much reality in your romance, but this one never bothered me over much.

Although now that i do think about it, it does bother me when, instead of pulling herself outta the sitch, the wealthy hero swoops in and saves the day.

That's a little bit TOO much fantasy for my tastes.

(And Yes, I hated "Pretty Woman".)

By Unknown, at 8/21/2006 11:07:00 AM
No secret babys here or target shopping... she shops at expensive stores and uses the return policy

somehow there are enough stores to keep this up for a while

and people at work think she is a trustfund baby

::blink::

He doesn't really jump in to fix her life, the hero tries to fuck her than fires her when he finds a book of super secrets on her desk. So she most have stolen them...

I was so wondering why she didn't file harassment charges if nothing else ;)

By sybil, at 8/21/2006 12:22:00 PM
babies

whatever

By sybil, at 8/21/2006 12:22:00 PM
Zeek - I hated Pretty Woman also!!

Gotta love those women and the return policy. There has to be a special place in hell for them.

CindyS

By CindyS, at 8/21/2006 10:59:00 PM
Speaking as one of those broke twenty-somethings--a long time ago now, Thank God!--I'm not crazy about the flat broke heroine either. I guess I think, "Hey, get it together woman; there has to be *something* you can do."

And I'm totally in agreement with Zeek on the idea of the hero driving up in his Porshe and saving the batty-brained heroine. The thing about romance is you want the man and woman to get together, sure, but what you really want is to believe they'll stay together after the last page of the book. For that, I think, you need two strong characters--not just one. Kinda like life . . .
EC

By Anonymous, at 8/22/2006 10:27:00 AM


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