Romance and Rape--Judith McNaught

Romance Novelist Judith McNaught

In The Outlandish Companion by Diana Gabaldon, writer of the Outlander Series, gives a readers’ list of suggested authors and includes Judith McNaught for her historical romances. Amazingly, I found six of her novels among my mother’s books, three contemporary romances, and three set in early 19^th century England, which I preferred overall.

Tender Triumph, published in 1983 and contemporary, may show the author coming to terms with feminism—belief in the same career and sexual freedoms for women as men, yet at the same time, the heroine yearns to commit herself to a man who wants an old-fashioned wife devoted to him alone. The ending sex scene was anticlimactic compared to the buildup of sexual tension throughout the book. Nevertheless, a fun read.

Double Standards, a contemporary novel from 1984, again deals with men and women’s roles—men have the CEO jobs, women are secretaries, so dated, and McNaught’s heroines are all virgins, except for the first book, who wind up with one man. She follows the tried and true bones of the romance: boy meets girl—conflicts arise—boy loses or drives away the girl—they find true love. The stories are well written, however, with the tension that makes you want to turn the page.

Whitney, My Love,1985, is a historical romance. This is the one I least liked. It drags at over 700 pages. It started with great promise as the heroine is smart, self-possessed, and perceptive about her own and others’ motives. Unfortunately, that all disintegrates when she meets the hero (oddly mentioned in 1990’s Almost Heaven as the one Duke still unmarried, so I wonder about these dates). Some dumb and stereotypical plot contrivances ensue to build conflict between the two. Really hated it when McNaught writes the Duke thinking that he “all but raped” the heroine. It was rape and worse, the heroine comes to believe she at least in part brought it on herself. A second time, he treats her viciously emotionally, but she knew he loved her. Bullshit. Of course for that time period, men did own their wives and could treat them anyway they pleased but wish McNaught took a harder stance against it.

Once and Always, a historical romance from 1987, is one of my two favorites except for another rape scene glossed over as an understandable mistake by the hero about the character of the heroine. Otherwise, the plot, conflicts, and motives of the characters better fit together. America briefly came into this story and made an interesting contrast to the socially elite rules and traditions of England.

Almost Heaven, a historical from 1990, is my other favorite. The plot had more organic buildups and resolutions of conflict until the ending, which felt contrived and silly. McNaught’s heroes tend to have early traumas that cause them to be volatile, quick to judge, and cold at times. They mostly have dark hair and tall, muscular bodies, and remind me of Christian Gray in Fifty Shades of Gray, minus the bondage and whips, though interestingly, Christian never forces a woman, yet that book is far more controversial than these books with heroines who forgive and accept their rapists.

Paradise, the one book on the bestseller list, is contemporary, published in 1991. Two young people share one night together, get pregnant then married, divorce because of the manipulation of the girl’s overbearing father, and struggle to find their way back to each other.

McNaught’s heroines usually have blond or titan hair, blue or green eyes, and short, curvy bodies. Their intelligence, feistiness, and lack of obsession with material wealth also attract the hero, who doesn’t at first believe in their naïve innocence, does something hurtful, and of course falls head over heels. Most of the books included middle-aged or elderly, unattractive, crusty women with hearts of gold who are instrumental in bringing the hero and heroine back together, a cold, heartless older man who puts obstacles between them and/or a nicer benefactor who puts up obstacles but ultimately helps them.

Except for the plot contrivances, I very much like this writer. The books hold your attention and the worlds she builds are interesting. Despite the similarities in characters, the plots could never be mistaken one for the other.