Heroine – social or political activists, including suffragists, hacktivists, social justice activists
Hell’s Bells, Book #1
Heat Factor: He really likes to go down on her.
Character Chemistry: It started before the book, so there’s not a ton of buildup.
Plot: She’s in an extralegal girl gang, he’s got dark secrets, being together isn’t going to work, but everything swirling around them connects them. As does sex.
Overall: There’s a lot in this book that should be more prevalent in historical romance.
To celebrate Women’s History Month, every Saturday in March we’ve prepared a Saturday Smutty Six list of some of our favorite heroines. This list is organized in roughly chronological order.
This week: Activists
TL;DR – Hester is the shit. Her home is a station on the Underground Railroad, she is an activist and leader in her community, she only buys products made by people who are anti-slavery (even though she’s on a budget and it would be cheaper not to), and she’s doing just fine.
Annabelle is sort of a reluctant activist, because she’s a suffragette primarily because she has to be in order to afford going to Oxford. On the other hand, she’s an awesome activist because she’s breaking down academic walls by attending university, proving that women are just as academic-minded as men. Enjoyed the angst and the power dynamics between Annabelle and the Duke.
Cassandra is a proto-feminist who really doesn’t have time for Ashmont-the-himbo, but also social constructs are what they are and as much as we might wish it otherwise, they can’t be smashed overnight. Enjoy a thoughtful approach to the “compromised but feminist” histrom heroine in a non-obnoxious Shakespeare retelling.
We recommend this book a lot, but that’s because Daisy Swann is so awesome. She’s a chemist. She’s starting a make-up empire. And she integrates her love of make-up into activism: by helping herself (and other women) feel beautiful, she develops the confidence to step into spaces previously barred to women. The scene where she and her friends crash a snooty restaurant is especially delightful.
Bernie is fighting to keep her family property–and Eli Zorn is preparing to help tear it down for his Fixer Upper tv show. As it turns out, Bernie has big dreams to help provide a safe space for bullied kids…and Eli is just the guy to help her realize that dream.
Julia moves to Texas to be with her boyfriend, who ends up not being her boyfriend anymore. Just when she’s pulling together a life with good friends and getting settled at her AMAZING job, everything gets put on the line when Rocco comes in to evaluate whether Julia’s organization should continue its work in the community. Loved every single character in this beautifully written book!
Arroyo Blanco, Book 1
Heat Factor: There’s a little bit of spice.
Character Chemistry: Well, she dunks him in a lagoon at their first meeting, so I think we’re off to a great start!
Plot: Emilia writes dirty stories under a pen name; Ruben writes scathing critiques of these stories under a pen name – and wants to write an exposé of the author. Banter and shenanigans ensue.
Overall: The set up is so strong, but the ending felt rushed.
Heat Factor: It’s pretty steamy for a reasonably standard old school historical romance
Character Chemistry: Galen makes Hester feel things. He also thinks she’s arresting.
Plot: Slave catchers are roving around, looking for our protagonists, in antebellum Michigan
Overall: The work this book does is really something special
Difficult Dukes, Book #2
Review of Difficult Dukes, Book 1
Heat Factor: It’s your medium-low-level histrom sexytimes, and it works well in context
Character Chemistry: The way these two processed their relationship – separately and together – was awesomesauce
Plot: Ten Things I Hate About You but more grown up
Overall: I waited a loooooooooooong time for this book, and it was better than I’d hoped for
The Smut Report 