Looking for specific romance trope

[kentosbento]

This might sound pretentious, but can anyone recommend me some romance novels where the heroine is "too good" for her love interest?
Not necessarily in a way where you genuinely believe the MC to be better off alone, but more in the superficial way, perhaps.
An oddly specific example I've been hunting for is something like a possessive redneck falling for the new city girl who moved in and wants nothing to do with him.

You can laugh, point, and redirect me to FF.net, my feelings won't be sore.

[lumpynose]

Maybe not exactly what you're looking for but maybe good enough?

https://www.lynnkurland.com/books/th...-web-of-magic/

https://www.lynnkurland.com/books/th...ngdoms-series/

The first one contains a novelette/short story that precedes the books; I got it from the local library. Try it and see if you like it, if so you'll probably like the books.

[kentosbento]

Originally Posted by lumpynose

Maybe not exactly what you're looking for but maybe good enough?

https://www.lynnkurland.com/books/th...-web-of-magic/

https://www.lynnkurland.com/books/th...ngdoms-series/

The first one contains a novelette/short story that precedes the books; I got it from the local library. Try it and see if you like it, if so you'll probably like the books.

They aren't quite what I'm looking for, but I have added them to my reading list anyways because the first one does sound pretty interesting.

[curtw]

Are you willing to stretch your search to include what used to be called "planetary romance?" If so, then pick almost anything by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

He wrote many series, so the first books in series that I can recall deploying this trope are...

• Tarzan of the Apes
• A Princess of Mars
• At the Earth's Core

(In the later books, the children of Tarzan and John Carter fall into the same patterns)

Stand-alones include The Monster Men and The Oakdale Affair.

Best of all, they're all PD, and available here in the MR library.

[lumpynose]

Originally Posted by curtw

Best of all, they're all PD, and available here in the MR library.

They may have been here in the MR library but if so have been taken offline, so to speak, and are on the "to be released" shelf or whatever they use; he died in 1950 so his books will become PD in the life+70 countries in 2021.

I wasn't paying attention and made a combined book of the Tarzan books and uploaded it here and it was taken offline; Jellby told me that "It doesn't become PD next year, but the year after. You don't need to do anything, we'll put it back online when the copyright expires."

Nevertheless, the individual books are easy to find.

[Dr. Drib]

Just go to Amazon and/or Kobo and buy what you think might interest you.

[kentosbento]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

Just go to Amazon and/or Kobo and buy what you think might interest you.

I will never understand why people give answers like these.

[kentosbento]

Originally Posted by curtw

Are you willing to stretch your search to include what used to be called "planetary romance?" If so, then pick almost anything by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

He wrote many series, so the first books in series that I can recall deploying this trope are...

• Tarzan of the Apes
• A Princess of Mars
• At the Earth's Core

(In the later books, the children of Tarzan and John Carter fall into the same patterns)

Stand-alones include The Monster Men and The Oakdale Affair.

Best of all, they're all PD, and available here in the MR library.

These aren't really my thing, but thank you for suggesting them. I do very much admire the imagination in these novels.

[meeera]

Mia Hopkins might interest you? Thirsty and Trashed.

If it's city woman/country man that you are interested in more specifically, Australian rural romance does this trope extensively.

Smart Bitches Trashy Books has a Rec League post on "he's not worthy" here which may also help.

[svenlind]

How about H. Rider Haggard's "She" . Here at MR "She and Allan" is available.

From Amazon:

My empire is of the imagination. These are the words of Ayesha, the mysterious white queen of a Central African tribe, whose dread title, 'She-who-must-be-obeyed', testifies to her undying beauty and magical powers; but they serve equally well to describe the hold of her author, Henry Rider Haggard, on generations of readers. Writing 'at white heat', and in the flush of success after the publication of King Solomon's Mines, Haggard drew again on his knowledge of Africa and of ancient legends, but also on something deeper and more disturbing. To the Englishmen who journey through shipwreck, fever, and cannibals to her hidden realm, 'She' is the goal of a quest bequeathed to them two thousand years before; to Haggard's readers, 'She' is the embodiment of one of the most potent and ambivalent figures of Western mythology, a female who is both monstrous and desirable - and, without question, deadlier than the male.

[hildea]

Trope hunt, that's fun!

The first one I think of is True Pretenses by Rose Lerner.
http://www.roselerner.com/bookshelf/...rue-pretenses/

Through wit and sheer force of will, Ash Cohen raised himself and his younger brother Rafe out of the London slums and made them (in his unbiased opinion) the best confidence men in England. Ash is heartbroken when Rafe decides he wants an honest life, but he vows to give his beloved brother what he wants.

When Ash hears of a small-town heiress scrambling to get her hands on the dowry held in trust for when she marries, he plans one last desperate scheme: con her and his brother into falling in love. After all, Rafe deserves the best, and Ash can see at once that captivating, lonely Lydia Reeve is the best.

I'll try to think of more. Are the genders important? I mean, are you also interested in books where he is to good for her? Or romances with two men, or two women?

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by kentosbento

I will never understand why people give answers like these.

I was referring to post #4 (where some titles are mentioned that may be of interest to you), and also to the fact that the Burroughs titles mentioned are no longer available here at Mobileread. (This was before you made post #8.)

Thank you for your thoughtful response, and I hope that you locate what you're looking for.

[DHNightshadow]

Let me see, this are older books and I do not know how rough they get.

Jude Deveraux: The Princess
https://www.amazon.de/Princess-Montg...=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Her name is Aria...a beautiful, arrogant princess from a small European kingdom. Stranded in a storm of intrigue near the Florida Keys, she is swept ashore and into the arms of dashing J.T. Montgomery, an officer of the United States Navy. Disdainful at first, Aria is secretly tantalized by the handsome Lieutenant’s brash independence...and beneath her proud reserve, J.T. discovers a woman of sensuous fire. To escape her enemies, they return to her royal domain—with Aria posing as an American bride. But if their daring charade succeeds, Aria will have to choose—between the kingdom she was born to rule, and the man she was destined to love…

Jude Deveraux: Twin of Ice

https://www.amazon.de/Twin-Ice-Engli...3Q4Y6HW7KR6CRV

In this historical Western-set romance from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux, a demure beauty faces a life-changing decision: stay safely ensconced in everything she knows, or risk it all for what just might be true love?

Jude Deveraux entwines the frontier adventures of two unforgettable sisters—demure beauty Houston Chandler and her independent, hot-tempered twin Blair—who discover heartfelt passions as powerfully compelling as ice and fire...

Happily betrothed to Dr. Lee Westfield, Houston is every bit the good girl she was raised to be. So when faced with Kane Taggert's brash marriage proposal, Houston is outwardly shocked. But beneath her gracious demeanor lies a woman of hidden longings -- and her defenses begin to melt the second this rugged stranger touches his hungry lips to hers.In this historical Western-set romance from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux, a demure beauty faces a life-changing decision: stay safely ensconced in everything she knows, or risk it all for what just might be true love?

All of her books are interesting but I read them a Long time ago so you should be careful about the erotica. The books are late 90.

Sorry I get the Amazon.de link, Amazon.com should have them also.

[Catlady]

Do you mean books in which the heroine haughtily thinks she's too good for the hero, or ones in which the hero himself thinks he's not worthy of the heroine?

The latter situation occurs in many romances, both historical and contemporary--e.g., the hero returns from war wounded in mind and/or body and feels unworthy of love, or he's a self-made man and she's one of the privileged elite. Some examples here.

For the former, Goodreads has a "heroine spoiled" shelf, which might fit your search.

[issybird]

Just as an FYI, many of the Burroughs' Tarzan and John Carter titles are PD in the US and available at the usual places, so there no need to buy them in the US.