This Rec League request comes from Reader Kate, who is in search for heroines who aren’t always described as petite. Here’s her email:
I’m 6’1″ tall and I often feel underrepresented by the tall ladies in romances, so I’m putting out a request for romances with very tall heroines.
I’m also genuinely curious about the number of romances out there where the heroine is taller than the hero. I can only think of one which is Susan Napier’s Mistress Deception (which I loved, and possibly found on this site).
I’ve compiled some books with tall heroines based on things I’ve read, book descriptions, and recommendations from fellow readers. I’m not sure if any of the heroines are taller than the heroine, but I believe most of the heroines are above 5’8″.
Contemporary Romances
Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins ( A | BN | K | G | iB | Au ) – Chastity is a journalist who is 5’11” while not in heels and she wants to work on embracing her femininity.
Saddled and Spurred by Lorelei James ( A | BN | K | G | iB ) – A former beauty queen turned rough and tumble cowgirl! James’ books are also on the erotic side.
Truly by Ruthie Knox. We had a great guest review of this romance and I also found this lovely quote from Goodreads reviewer Duchess Nicole:
Ruthie Knox nails it with this quirky, fun, sexy story. May is a fantastic heroine, and one I can easily relate to. She’s a giantess, and all her parts match her size. Being a tall girl myself, I can easily relate to May’s insecurities. It’s not often “tall” translates into “willowy”, as so many romance books will have you believe. More often than not, we tall girls feel large and clumsy. It’s great to be with a guy who’s tall…not necessarily because we only find tall guys attractive, but because they make US feel dainty and feminine. This was a point May made very well, if only in her head.
A Gentleman in the Street by Alisha Rai ( A | BN | K | iB ). I read this book a while ago, so I can’t for sure say the heroine is tall, but it did show up on a number of Goodreads lists featuring tall heroines. The heroine, Akira, is a badass bisexual billionaire.
All Summer Long by Susan Mallery ( A | BN | K | iB ) features a tomboy, firefighter heroine and a hero who was a former underwear model.
Historical Romances
It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas ( A | BN | K | G | iB | Au ). This is my favorite book in the Wallflowers quartet and features a sassy, American heiress.
The Lady Hellion by Joanna Shupe has a tall heroine who disguises herself as a man to get some info. Redheadedgirl also gave it an A-.
We’ve featured Once a Soldier by Mary Jo Putney ( A | BN | K | G | iB ) in a couple of our Books on Sale posts. Here’s how the heroine is described in the jacket copy:
Knowing herself to be too tall, strong, and unconventional to appeal to a man, Athena Markham has always gloried in her independence. But for the first time in her life, she finds a man who might be her match.
And come on, her name is Athena!
Sarah recommends Devil’s Bride by Stephanie Laurens ( A | BN | K | G | iB | Au ). The heroine is sometimes referred to as “Long Meg.”
Additionally, both Sarah MacLean’s No Good Duke Goes Unpunished ( A | BN | K | G | iB | Au ) and Eileen Dreyer’s Never a Gentleman ( A | BN | K | iB ) also feature taller heroines!
For paranormal romances, it’s harder to pin down since a lot of them have supernatural characters, which sometimes make them 6’0″ or taller.
Do you know of any taller heroines, especially ones who may be taller than the hero?