WhiskeyintheJar Romance: The Romanices: Part 5

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

The Romanices: Part 5 - Favorite Leads

Sometimes characters standout on their own, separate from the story or romantic relationship. Other times a character doesn't fully shine until they are paired with their partner who brings out their best. And on rare occasions, a character becomes lost when they are paired up. Thus, you'll find, maybe I really liked a lead but not when they are part of a couple and maybe I really like a couple but not separately.

*The books eligible could be published in any year, they simply had to be read by me in 2021.

Clicking on book cover brings you to my review

Nominees:

1. Rob Rush - Unbound by Cara McKenna

On the surface Rob is a grumpy hermit but this is a Cara McKenna story, so be prepared to be emotionally wrecked by layer after layer. He's a recovering alcoholic who used to drink to self-medicate his social anxiety and bury his submissive desires in the bedroom. His traits and dynamics end up fitting perfectly with the heroine Merry's but the drag out emotional way we get to the HEA will stick with you. I loved his surliness, his heart, and the way he loved Merry.

2. Spring Lee - Wild Rain by Beverly Jenkins

Spring was fiercely and competently independent, strong willed, had some bite, and showed that little bit of vulnerability that has me opening my heart to these characters. She outshone the hero for me but I didn't care because she was worth reading on her own. She owned who she was but also had the deepness that only those close to her would ever know the true Spring.

3. Martha Russell - Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant

Martha is that type of heroine that gets an unfair amount of hate with her more cold than warmth and more of an analytical personality than emotional and her actions have to be looked at in the grey area to be able to sympathize with her. She never learned how to love because she never experienced it herself and the slow thawing of her and her heart and grit just grabbed me by the throat, choking me up many a time. So many heroes get to be "coldhearted", Martha showed up a lot of them with her complexities and emotions.

4. Honoree Dalcour - Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce

What a life and what a woman. Her point-of-view chapters of her living in 1925 Chicago swept me away as she tried to navigate and survive as a dancer in blues clubs. Honoree was a captivating character with the fierceness and heart that always wins me over.

5. Lord Stephen Wentworth - How to Catch a Duke by Grace Burrowes

Oh Stephen, he's appeared in enough books in the series that my love for this character has only grown over time. He has a limp due to his drunken father breaking his leg as a child and this has lead to him developing a personality that has some zip to it to hide the vulnerability. I'd love to sit in a room and banter with him as the sexual tension could be cut with a knife.

6. Maya Jackson - Lowcountry Bride by Preslaysa Williams

Going on the journey with Maya, you'll want to push her to stick up for herself and her clothing designs with her boss but understand why she feels she can't and cheer her on dealing with her illness, her fear of trusting someone to love her, her relationship with her dad, and eventually finding and using her power to be all who she is in an environment that constantly tries to stifle her. Maya was someone that you'll be able to see a little bit of yourself, friend, or relative in.

7. Maddie Crewe - The Hellion's Waltz by Olivia Waite

Maddie was such a strong character that I found myself wishing the story had been lead more by her, other than her love interest Sophie. When we meet Maddie, she's in the middle of a swindle and living her life more in the way she thinks her mother who passed away would want her to. Her leadership and heart drew me to her and I can always appreciate a shenanigan mindset.

8. Marquess of Hullworth, Brandon Stredwick - The Wrong Marquess by Vivienne Lorret

Brandon first comes on the scene in all his odious and grumpy glory. He's had a lifetime of marriage minded misses contriving to be his wife and had his heart broken over a woman who refused him when he was younger because she wanted to marry up, so he has instant distrust of our heroine Ellie. His distrust attitude goes on a bit long but when he decides that he wants/loves Ellie, around the half-way point, Brandon gives us a pretty sweet hero. He gives Ellie gifts that show how much he pays attention to her wants and needs and knows that he has to gently ease his way into her heart (that whole seeing and loving someone for who they are).

9. Vaughn Miller - One Christmas Wish by Brenda Jackson

Vaughn was a former wall street man who was sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit, serves two years, gets exonerated and found innocent, and then moves back to his hometown, I wanted pages delving into this man's background/life because of how intriguing he appeared on page. Alas, we get more of him romancing the heroine Sierra, which is not a bad trade-off at all.

10. Russell Gilchrist - Foolish Hearts by Synithia Williams

Russell at one time was secretly dating the heroine Ashiya and fell for her hard but heartbreakingly learned that Ashiya was only using him to make her ex jealous and get him to take her back, it takes three years but Ashiya finally wises up to what she missed out on.

Russell's character was the combination of sweet and strong that will have readers firmly in his corner and swooning. Russell stole the show for me a little bit because of how sweet he was and how his vulnerability showed through him not wanting to open his heart up again to Ashiya, I felt his broken heart.

11, 12, & 13. Rosie Mulvehey, Susan Stone, and Bowie Stone - The Wives of Bowie Stone by Maggie Osborne

I couldn't help myself, I had to shout out all three of these characters.

The way these two historical women took the challenges placed on them and conquered them was a thing of beauty. I loved the two sides of a coin theme, Rosie wasn't looking for a man to help her live but got one and Susan was looking for a man but had to help herself. It's the Rosie knew how to survive but didn't know how to live and Susan knew how to live but not survive. You're getting the emotion from Rosie learning her self-worth and moving to recovering alcoholic and Susan's fear from not having a man to take the responsibility and then courage and exhilaration as she is at the helm of her life. These two women characters will stay with me for a long time.

The men take a little bit of a backseat because of how emotional the women's journeys are. However, in his quiet but steadfast way, handles and deals with Rosie, and then eventually in the way he teaches her to love herself and loves her, earn Bowie a nomination, too.

Gah, these characters' stories!

14. Zach Cooper - Midnight Confessions by Candice Proctor

Zach is a provost marshal, a cavalry Major finishing up healing in New Orleans who gets tasked with solving the murder of a doctor and then further killings. The romance was more in the subtleties and Zach earns a nomination because his character mostly saves the romance side because he's pretty swoony.

Winners:

Rosie Mulvehey and Russell Gilchrist

Rosie wrecked me, the lines she said with the emotion behind them, just, gah EMOTIONAL WRECKAGE. Her getting Bowie to love made my 2021 better.

This man! Seriously, Russell was swoony sweet and came with a broken heart that makes you want to pull him in with a tight hug. Then of course, grab his ass because Hot.

2020 Winners