You'll notice this month that we have only featured contemporary romances.
Originally we planned to include historicals (yes, think harder-there are plenty
of books where the heroine works!) but because of the abundance of governesses
that kept cropping up we thought it best to create three separate categories:
"Love on the Job" (Contemporaries only), "Governesses" and "Women in the Work
Force" (Historicals only). And despite what you think: women in historical
romance novels have held positions in a variety of jobs, and they aren't all
secretaries and nurses!
Lust may be prohibited at work, but what's a girl to do when she's forced to
deal with a gorgeous testosterone-projecting male every day-close her eyes? The
"working girls" on this list may have found more than a paycheck on the job, but
they'll need to find a way to bend the rules and balance the inequity of power in order to find true
romantic satisfaction.
What's The Appeal?
Those who have been reading our genre for a while will remember that in
the '50s and '60s romances primarily featured women in one of three roles: nurse,
secretary, or nanny. It was the rare contemporary that had a woman working in a
different field.
The '70s brought about a change that reflected the thoughts of the time.
Women joined the work force, taking over strictly male jobs; do you recall all
the wonderful stories where the heroine has a gender-less name and is hired to
pilot a plane? Or must learn how to run the family ranch herself?
In the '80s, the "me" generation, women began to get more serious about a
career of their own, and every field was fair game. Our heroines were anything
from radio announcers to veterinarians, and even exotic dancers.
The '90s have brought a whole new working arena for our heroines. Women in
the '90s need to do it all-they might hold an executive position, but they still
manage to raise a family and maintain a household. These strong women will do
whatever it takes to keep it all together.
Romance on the job offers built-in conflict and excitement, with daily
contact and the implicit need for secrecy-always a powerful aphrodisiac! They can
also be an opportunity for a heroine and hero to meet on equal terms-but, you
ask, who's the boss?
Don't forget that romances always need a healthy dose of alpha male to be a
success. Although the heroine may be in a position of authority, this generally
doesn't sit too well with her male associate.
We may actually prefer a "beta male" at the workplace, but our literary
fantasies require a man who needs to take charge-even when we're in command.
Oh-the conflict!
-Kate Ryan
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