The Importance of Strong Women in Romance

Whether a woman is strongor not has nothing to do with physical strength, mental prowess, or aggressive behavior. They can be a kick-ass woman, a high-powered executive, or an underworld spy. But they can also be someone who’s physically frail, introverted, frightened, or a down on their luck. What makes a woman come across as strong to readers is that they are active. It’s the feeling of strength that is created when someone strives toward a worthy goal, facing hardships and obstacles, failing and backsliding, but never giving up for long. 

Readers derive pleasure from this struggle. It drives the story forward and gives the reader a sense of hope that despite all the horrible things going on in the woman’s life, despite their weaknesses and failures, they will never surrender. Instead, they grow and change, become strongerand try harder. In the end, the strong woman deserves their happy ever after because they have earned it. And, when they finally get it, the reader can let out their breath and enjoy the feeling of success and joy with the woman. Also, when two strong characters fall in love, the innate tension is stronger than if one character passively surrenders. 

But this immediate pleasure of escaping into a novel isn’t the only reason strong women are important in romance novels. Experiencing the roller-coaster ride of a strong woman’s actions combine with their emotions can bolster a reader and help them become a stronger person in their own life. This is also a reason it’s important for romance authors to provide a diverse variety of characters and stories. Every romance reader deserves to be able to find novels that offer them strong role models and plots that can help them find the strength to deal with the issues in their individual lives. 

Have you read a novel lately where there was a particularly strong woman character? Who was it and what made them come across as strong to you?