Thursday, May 26, 2016

Olde Biddy Quest

About Olde Biddy Quest

Late last year, tired of feeling like I was some kind of pervert reading about romantic heroes young enough to be my sons, I began a quest for historical romances featuring mature couples.  I sought a season of reading that was not centered on the young miss or 'almost' a spinster matched with the [to me] boys and young men.  It is not easy to find historical romance books that admit romance for women existed after 30; after 40 is a midnight desert with no moon, and after 50  I  you might as well be dead as a historical romance heroine.



There are quite a few books with a mature couple as a secondary story, there are even more than a couple novellas where a mature couple in the background of a series gets their hundred pages or less in the spot light. Usually, this is at the cost of a buck or more a page.  When I reach page sixty-three and realize the rest is blurbs for other books I feel a bit cheated, and then a lot miffed.  A complete, well written, novel with the mature couple as the focus of the romance is rarer than hen's teeth.  When you do find them, reviews are not plentiful, even if they are enthusiastic.  

Maybe Ye Olde Biddies don't bother to write reviews or rate books.  They have full, busy lives and are past the need to persuade peers their likes should be your likes.  Some might be ashamed to admit they read romance novels 'at their age.'  Perhaps it is because most marketing folks are young, and though up on the current trends, can't imagine someone with a few laugh lines and silver streamers in their hair being attractive - unless he's a billionaire or a rake.  Ordinary, middle aged ladies don't belong on romantic book covers, everyone knows that, right?

But ... But ... I whisper, surely there are writers over 40, no doubt aware romance doesn't croak with the first laugh line.  You'd think there would be a plethora of darn good stories featuring adventurous, experienced characters with the wisdom to enjoy every second of life and the desire to share it with someone special, whenever possible.  ::sigh::

I expect the historical life expectancy plays a part in this.  Even so, all you have to do is scroll through the wiki or archive.org, to see women were living active, dare I say adventurous, lives well beyond their forties on just about every continent.  I suspect the truth is everyone has become entirely too comfortable with the characters of the outrageous aunt or managing widow or interfering mother as a secondary character, but really, as a heroine of an entire novel ... let's not get crazy here.

Therefore, being an Olde Biddy of tenacious nature, intensely training for my crotchety years, I've decided that many of my summer reviews will focus on sharing the good stuff I did find while on my quest.  I'll try and make time for those young miss/ almost a spinster goodies, but no promises.

So, check out the label Olde Biddy Quest to read about some of the good books I discovered on my quest and add any suggestions you might have discovered yourself!

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