Kati's Favorite Heroines

I've already said that when I read romance, mostly, I read for the heroes. But there are some romances where the heroines are the main attraction for me. Those books are in the minority, but I do have a few favorite heroines. Here's the list:

Payton Kendall, Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James - I'll be honest, Julie's heroines do it for me. They are smart, driven, kickass and always funny. They're also remarkably self-aware. I love Payton for one specific scene in the book. It's a courtroom scene where her skinny pencil skirt splits. She's in the middle of giving her closing arguments, and she handles it with humor and grace. It made me fall for her utterly.

Eve Dallas, in Death series, JD Robb - Ah, Eve. She's all dark and twisty. And she's troubled, and tough as nails, but with this soft gooey inside that makes me smile. I love that she's so un-girly most of the time. And yet, she's mush about her husband, and she is at her core, a generous and loyal friend and loved one. I love that she does the right thing, even when it's hard. It would be hard not to love Eve. She's one in a million, and Nora Roberts' best creation (um, other than Roarke, of course!).

Blair Mallory, To Die For and Drop Dead Gorgeous by Linda Howard - Now, alot of readers don't like Blair. She's manipulative, and canny, and devious, and fully southern. But I love her. I love how funny she is. I love that she is completely unashamed to use her sex, her petiteness, or any other tool available to her to get what she wants. She is totally high maintenance, and does not even remotely bother to hide it. She's all "Love me, love my attitude." I adore her. She never fails to make me smile.

Merry Patricia Widling, The Windflower by Tom and Sharon Curtis - Oh, I know this one is going to get some people going. Merry starts of as your typical missish historical heroine. But what makes The Windflower my favorite book is the Merry progresses throughout the book. She evolves. The story is over the top, and practically every bad thing you can think of happens to her, but by the end of the story, she's a stronger and more interesting person and it makes her a favorite of mine.

Lady Jennifer Merrick, A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught - I love me some Jenny. She's kidnapped by her father's sworn enemy and uses her wiles, intelligence and the limited resources available to her to antagonize the most dangerous man in England. She does things like sew the sleeves of all of his men's shirts shut, she takes advantage of her sister's allergy to get her sister to safety, and most of all she has this wonderful sense of humor and sauciness that tests and pushes at Royce constantly. This was the first romance I read where I found myself laughing out loud at passages.

Haven Travis, Blue Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas - Haven's journey is such an emotional one. She's independent to her core, but after finding the courage to leave an incredibly abusive husband, she finds herself in the difficult position of having to move on with her life and dependent on others to help her. Granted, she has a wonderful family support system, but she must find it within herself to recover and revitalize. Her journey is such an emotional one. One that brings me to tears every time I read it.

Katherine (Kate) Powell, Holding the Dream by Nora Roberts - Oh, how I love Kate. Adopted into a fabulously wealthy family, Kate is the ultimate "A-type" personality. She's an accountant, and her entire life is about order. Until she meets Byron de Witt, and executive with her family's hotel business. He turns her life upside down and makes her understand that order isn't the most important thing. What I love about Kate is that underneath her vibrating, A-type personality is someone who feels so much. It's a revelation watching her fall in love.

Lady Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy, the Gardella Vampire Chronicles by Colleen Gleason - Victoria discovers on her the eve of her societal debut that she is aa Venator. One who is destined to hold back the vampire evil that menaces the world. Determined to continue with her debut, Victoria must balance the wishes of her ambitious Mama and her sworn responsibility to rid the world of vampires. What I like about this book is that Gleason never ever gives Victoria the easy way. She is constantly tested, suffers great losses and must choose between two delicious men. It is a brilliantly conceived series and Victoria is one of my very favorite heroines.

Chastity O'Neill, Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins - I love Chas. She comes from a family of fire fighters -- the only girl in the bunch. She's a big girl, smart and athletic. And has been in love with the same guy forever. I love that Chas embraces her size, and strength. And I love that she does stuff that scares her. I wish that the love story had been perhaps slightly more fleshed out in this book, but the book focuses on Chastity's growth as a character.

Lady Jessica Trent, Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase - I've yet to ever read a heroine who outdoes Jessica for sheer backbone, strength and wit. She's smart, outrageous, loyal and rarely shocked by anything. Plus, she knows how to put a man in his place. She is easily my all time favorite heroine ever.

And there you have it. My 10 favorite heroines in romance. This list was harder to put together than the heroes list.

Who have I forgotten? Who are your favorite romance heroines?