A BOOKISH HEROINE TO FALL FOR
There are few things I love more about a beautifully flawed, fun-loving, smart, and strong heroine. But give me one with a hankering for romance books, and I’m sold.
I instantly relate to bookish characters.
Not the ones who flush with embarrassment as they slyly slip it in their purse or hide the artfully heaving bosoms behind book jackets, either. I’m especially drawn to the ones who unabashedly read their favorite genre out in the open. The ones who equally appreciate the value of words and stories and a cover that boldly gives a glimpse of what’s between the pages.
To them, books are their treasures, more precious than gems and stones.
When I began writing Trivialized Pursuit, I didn’t plan on Roxanne “Rox” Sloane slipping into the bookish role. As her character became more three-dimensional, though, certain qualities stepped out into the forefront. For example, she’s adventure-seeking, always slipping in a chapter between customers, and has an insatiable hunger for knowledge only quenchable by books.
She’s also a list-maker. In fact, she’s got a Book of Lists. One of which, is her “One-Shot at Love” list. Immediately, my mind went for the hopeful romantic.
Of course, Rox loves romance novels. She’s smart, her shelves are heaped with books, and she celebrates how love helps us grow. A few hours of reading gifts her with a guaranteed HEA (Happily Ever After) despite all the stakes raised against the heroine and the hero. It’s the whole life and art imitating each other thing.
As it turns out, along with lists, Rox is numbers and logic. She notices patterns. With her dad on his fourth set of nuptials and her mom never remarrying, the unfavorable odds of finding her rakish needle in a haystack aren’t lost on her. Add in a Dr. Murphy Theodore Sikes—ridiculously handsome, commitment-phobe, player extraordinaire—who she’s been crushing on for the past decade…
And he’s even hotter in scrubs with his ruggedly messy hair, sweetly dropping by with takeout because he knew she’d be tired after work?
And he calls her sparky, too?
Yeah, Roxanne Sloane keeps a bighearted, laugh-out-loud rom-com on standby. Depending on her mood, she’s no stranger to an angsty, sweeping historical in her purse, either.
For emergencies.
Dating how-to books and romance novels are Rox’s go-to grabs for anxiety. In this flirty, friends-to-lovers, trivia-themed romantic comedy, she has a book in her hand by chapter three. It’s bright yellow with hot pink script on the cover, and filled with all the emotions, laughs, and steam she craves. It’s described as a bestselling enemies-to-lovers contemporary workplace romance novel about two coworkers who go on a strategic reality competition series where the players must choose whether to be themselves or other people all while chasing a cash prize.
It just screams romantic comedy!
Sold!!!
I’m a sucker for books within a book. Give me a beach to go with it? Yes, please!
In this case, one of my favorite scenes is the beach scene. My heart about gave out when Murph joined Rox in the sun-soaked Mission Beach sand and didn’t lecture her about reading romance novels. Instead, he slid alongside her, intertwined their fingers, and listened while she read to him. When I say, my heart…
“By the time we crawl back onto our sandy towels, a new quiet energy settles between us. Rox reads from her book aloud to me, and as the characters fight the urge to be together, my ache to touch Rox escalates to combustible desperation. I inch my hand across the invisible barrier between our towels, and our fingers touch in the sand. When she slips her hand in mine without missing a beat, I know without a doubt Mom is right.”
Yes, Murph, Mom is usually right LOL. In case he didn’t notice, his mom usually has a book in her hands as well.
That’s all I’ve got for now, but I hope you’ll hold your books proudly. I hope you’ll read books with smart and strong heroines who do as well. And if you’re really feeling good, maybe you’ll check out Trivialized Pursuit and root for Rox and Murph as they beat the stakes to find their HEA. ❤
A️bout the author.
Mia Heintzelman is a polka-dot-wearing, horror movie lover, who always has a book and a to-do list in her purse. When she isn’t busy writing fictional happily-ever-afters, she is likely reading, or playing board games and eating sweets with her husband and two children. She writes fun, unforgettable, more than just laughs romcoms about strong women and men with enough heart to fall for them.
Great post. I loved Rox and Murph too.
Love this description. Looking forward to reading it.