The term book boyfriend is a merch magnet, the topic of much conversation, and a perennial discussion on social media.
But what about book girlfriends? The characters – of any and all genders – who you’d love to be friends with?
I have several, and it kind of shocks me that I hadn’t thought to ask this question before. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the number of man-centered women in romance and how that affects and shapes the genre and its community, and the way in which heroines are written about, critiqued, and judged hasn’t slowed down since romance as we know it was born. Heroines are much more harshly criticized than heroes in romance, and have been since the 70s.
But there are some heroines I love, who I would love to spend time with in my real actual life, from running errands with iced coffee to fluffy-socks-and-wine sleepovers.
NB: despite using the term “girlfriends,” I am not restricting your fictional friendships to specific genders. “Friends” didn’t seem strong enough to depict the loving, supportive relationship I’m speaking of. Honestly, we don’t have enough words for the different relationships we have in different venues. But to be clear: there is no restriction or limitation on gender here.
Here are some of my Book Girlfriends:
Katie in Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis – an old favorite of mine. Katie survives a terrible accident and resolves to live her life actively instead of passively. She quits her job and moves to a mountain town in California where (SURPRISE) she’s hired by three hot brothers (their names are See, Quelle, and Bait – I’m kidding) and has a romance with one of them.
Katie is relentlessly brave when she’s scared, determined when she’s overwhelmed, and clever and funny as well. I would absolutely go snowboarding with her or drink alcoholic hot chocolate in the lodge for hours. I bet she has excellent gossip.
Another old favorite: Act Like It by Lucy Parker. Yes, I love this book and I will never shut up about it. Lainie is a talented actress, she’s pragmatic, she’s quick and funny and so smart, and I wish I could hang out with her. She runs 5ks, though, and I’ll have to cheer from the sidelines with mimosas at the finish line. She, too, probably has incredible stories. I’m sensing a theme.
James Sommers from Hither, Page by Cat Sebastian is a character I would love to take long walks with while we discuss books and the weather and the changing light in the trees. I would probably do more of the talking, but I would love to be his friend.
And oh boy do I want to be friends with Mariah Cooper from Destiny’s Embrace. Mariah moves across the country from Philadelphia to California to answer an ad seeking a housekeeper for a gentleman. Said gentleman does not like Mariah’s inability to tolerate his nonsense, and her fearlessness and her cleverness would make for very fun road trips, or trips to Costco. Mariah is one of my all-time favorite Beverly Jenkins heroines.
What about you? Who would you love to have as a book girlfriend?
Lara: There are one million heroines I want to be friends with (or maybe just want to be??) but there is one heroine’s best friend who really stood out for me: Naomi in Dolly all the Time by Annabel Monaghan. She’s opinionated and fiercely loyal but will also call you on your bullshit. And funny too! She portrayed what it is to be a great friend and I would love to have the privilege of her friendship.
Kiki: I would love to be friends with Mercy from The Undertaking of Heart and Mercy by Megan Bannen. She’s an undertaker in a land of demigods and magical realms, keeping her family business alive and writing letters to an unknown recipient. I would call her after a bad day and we’d split a bottle of wine and dance around barefoot in the kitchen, before settling down to have deep conversations about death, dying, and how to improve care for people before they die. I have a feeling she gives fantastic hugs, and I’m always interested in new penpals.
I’d also love to spend time with Eleanor Ramsay from The Duke’s Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley. She’s both competent and eccentric—the greatest combination. I’m delighted and impressed with her commitment to letting men sweat a bit over things they think they are entitled to. I want to soak up her ability to essentially tell someone: “I love you, and I won’t let you treat me poorly.”
Finally, I’d pick Phoebe Toogood from A Deal With a Notorious Devil by Aydra Richards, who is chill as hell and knows what she does and doesn’t want. She’s gonna make her own deals! Carve out her own little destiny! We’d talk about being childfree by choice while still being delighted by the kids around us! Phoebe also goes out of her way to kinda become friends with her husband’s former mistress, because why not?!
Sneezy: Oh man! Such a good question! Okay, so I think Violet Waterfield from Courtney Milan’s The Countess Conspiracy. One of my friends is a hard science girly who, allegedly, would use liquid nitrogen for good, and I think Violet has the same streak of pirate in her. One can never have enough pirate friends, I say!!!!
I’d also love to hang out with both Nomoto and Kasuga in She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat, by Sakaomi Yuzaki. I love to cook and eat as much as both of them, so I think we’d have a lot of fun having cooking and eating adventures. Aaahhh just thinking about it makes me happy. Going on food and cooking adventures with people you love is the stuff of life, I tell you.
Hmmm… And I think… okay, now hear me out.
Nightfall from Spy x Family. ( A | BN | K | AB )
WAIT, COME BACK!!!! I SAID HEAR ME OUT!!!!
Look, I think the story is doing our darling Fiona dirty for gags. She’s competent, she’s ruthless, she’s a snac that attacs. I get that the story is using the gap between how strong and skilled she is versus how smitten with Loid for laughs, but honestly it’s not that funny to me that the story forcibly dumbs her down like this.
Possibly even in the real world comp het would also pressure and brainwash her into thinking Loid is anywhere NEAR good enough for her. BUT I CAN FIX HER! I CAN FIX HER GUYS! THIS IS A COMPLETELY HEALTHY IMPULSE! With the power of hotpot and grass jelly desserts I can show her she doesn’t NEED to make a man, ANY man, the centre of her world. She can learn what makes herself happy and enjoy using her super powers for her own goals! AREN’T WE ALL TIRED OF WATCHING AMAZING WOMEN LIMIT THEMSELVES FOR MEN?
And lastly to blur the lines between book girlfriends and book boyfriends a bit, Moni from Another Typical Fantasy Romance. Do I want her? Do I want to be her? Does it matter? She’s so smart and so pretty and so loyal, and while able to read and maneuver political subtleties, has a very direct personality. I really enjoy clever and straightforward people, and she’ll definitely save me if my lack of social niceties get me in trouble.
Do your favorite romances include characters you want to be friends with? Who are your book girlfriends?
