Children in Romances
They are a hot button for many romance readers. Rachel recently posted a thought-provoking entry here on foster children in romances.
Over the years, I’ve seen numerous threads on AAR’s forums focusing on children in romances, with most posters solidly opposed to them. In many cases, I’ve agreed. I’m not a fan of babies in romances (although I did thoroughly enjoy the baby racing scene in Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ Lady Be Good). I find nothing romantic about dirty diapers, or sleepless nights due to crying babies. And I completely avoid romances in which the hero and heroine meet when the heroine is already pregnant.
While some of my friends won’t even pick up a romance novel if they discover it includes children, I’m not uniformly opposed to kids in romances. In fact, when well written, I can really enjoy them.
I’ve recently been listening to a couple Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ books on CD (Natural Born Charmer and Match Me if You Can), and really enjoyed the children in those stories. These CDs have me thinking about my favorite children in romances. My top ten are:
- Seth, Sea Swept, Rising Tides, and Inner Harbor by Nora Roberts
- Teddy, Fancy Pants by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
- Riley, Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillip
- Freddie (Frederica) Kimball, Taming Natasha by Nora Roberts
- Hannah, This Heart of Mine and Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
- Peregrine and Olivia, Lord Perfect, by Loretta Chase
- Lexie, Simply Irresistible by Rachel Gibson
- Pip, Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
- Lucy, First Lady by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
- Simon, Key of Light, Key of Knowledge, and Key of Valor by Nora Roberts
What do these children have in common? First, and most importantly, they don’t take away from the love story of the hero and heroine. In fact, they tend to enhance the stories, often helping to bring the hero and heroine together. None of these children is perfect. They have interesting personalities and many of them grow over the course of the novel.
In all but one of these cases, the children appear in a contemporary romance since I don’t tend to read many historicals. And yes, eight of my ten favorite children appear in the books of Nora Roberts and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. For me, those authors consistently write memorable and realistic kids.
Two of my favorites – Seth and Freddie – eventually have their own HEAs and rumor has it that SEP’s Teddy and Lucy may eventually get an HEA of their own – potentially with each other. Even more exciting, Loretta Chase has indicated that Peregrine and Olivia of Lord Perfect may get their own story. As an avowed fan of romances (and mysteries) set in Egypt, I’m hoping their story will occur in that fascinating country.
Do you have any favorite children in romance novels? On the other hand, do you avoid romance novels with kids? If you avoid romances with children, what is it that you dislike about children in romances?
-LinnieGayl Kimmel
I really enjoyed the children in LaVyrle Spencer’s “”Morning Glory”” – they seemed realistic and I enjoyed the hero Will’s interactions with them a lot.
I recently read My Best Friend’s Girl by Dorothy Koomson, and the little girl, Tegan was written beautifully and very real, I thought. As 5yr. olds go, she sounded and acted her age. I think if an author is going to write children into the story, they’d better come close to writing a real child…otherwise, don’t bother.
I love all the kids you mention, and think SEP is especially gifted in incorporating children into her plots. I would like to offer up the two little sisters of the hero from “”Fool For Love”” by Eloisa James. They practically steal the scenes they’re in, but don’t detract from the love story. Some may find that the older sister was a little too precocious but I found her entertaining.
My favorite too is little Nick from the McKenzies by Linda Howard. Also the little princess who are in Patricia Grasso’s THE KAZANOV SERIES (Russian Royalty) espeically their tea parties. One more Peep from Sins of a Duke by Suzanne Enoch.
Dillie in Welcome the Temptation by Jennifer Crusie. My favorite romance book of all time.
What about Linda Howard’s Mackenzies series?
1) Mary and Wolf – son Joe gets them together
2) Joe and Caroline – son get’s his own story
3) Zane and Barrie – another son gets a story…don’t forget Nick!
4) Maris and Mac – daughter gets her story….again Nick!
5) Chance and Sunny – another son gets a story … once again Nick!
I do wish we could get Nick’s story…..
A few others that come right off the tip of my mind that have not been mentioned:
Linda Howard’s Cover of the Night – the twin boys….
Sweet Liar by Jude Deveraux – the twin boys of hero’s twin brother….
Change of Heart by Jude Deveraux – heroine’s son gets her and the hero together.
For me, if the children parts are written really really well written then the book stays on my keeper shelf (above books with SEP and Nora too) if it doesn’t do a thing for me then off it goes to the USB…..
I just finished rereading “”Breathing Room”” and the Briggs children are quite the entertaining lot. I just think SEP does characters well. period.
There was a Julie Garwood book that the kid kept saying the same phrase over and over, was it Ransom? That got on my nerves!
Diana, oh my gosh! How could I forget Edward/Chip. He was a complete heartbreaker! I LOVE Edward/Chip.
SEP again~that sweet little heartbreaker Edward in Dream a Little Dream. I leaked a few tears for him and flat out sobbed when he finally got to be “”Chip.””
I don’t have a problem with kids in books. And I thoroughly enjoyed all the books mentioned in the post, expecially Teddy, Gracie & Lexie. I think that the children in these stories added to the book.
I do have to admit, I hate it when the heroine is pregnant with another man’s child and then falls in love. And my biggest pet peeve is when she falls for her husband’s brother or best friend.
Ellen, I enjoy books where the hero falls in love with the heroines kids. That book sounds like fun.
Diana, oh, Gracie was good!
Gracie in Exposure by Susan Andersen. A 3-year=old who never shut up. I usually don’t like children in starring roles in a romance, but this kid was adorable! I think it has something to do with Gracie reminding me of my own daughter when she was that age — the things that came out of her mouth. Way talky, but adorable.
I just finished Father Christmas by Barbara Metzger and it has a pair of twin boys (Les and Willy) in it. These two are rambunctious little fellows and cute as can be. The hero (their cousin) loves them immediately and their mother adores them – pranks and all. She begins to fall in love with the hero when she sees how much he loves her sons.
CindyW, Oh, I completely forgot about all the kids in Prince Charming. Very funny book.
Rachel, yep, Lexie is definitely a star in Simply Irresistible. There are so many funny scenes with her — playing with Barbies with her Dad, her fondness for make-up/feather boas. And who can forget the scene in the pet store where she names Little Pongo?
I really loved Lexie in Simply Irresistible. She was one of the highlights of the book! One of my fav romances, actually.
I enjoyed Prince Charming by Teresa Mederios, it was by far the funniest!