With paranormal romance, we come across the strong and independent heroine. She knows what she wants and how to get it. Well, in some things.
It's not typical in adult paranormal romances, but sometimes we do come across the virgin heroine. She might be successful at everything else in her life, but love has always eluded her and she's not one to just sleep around. It allows an innocence and newness to the romance, drawing the reader along as she meets a mysterious and gorgeous individual whom she can't stop hungering for.
I prefer an experienced heroine, but I don't mind a virgin as long as she is well written. No one knows exactly what to do the first time around. No one has multiple orgasms the first time, nor after a minute or two in bed with her lover. Be realistic. The loss of her virginity would be a big emotional scene, a turning point in her identity. Not only in how she sees herself, but how others see her. The hero's realization that she's a virgin can also be a pivotal point. And the villain's if it is important to their evil plot!
I've heard the argument that an inexperienced heroine and a very experienced hero creates inequality in romance novels. Sometimes women do fantasize about being taken by a lover who knows exactly what to do. It's about surrendering, giving yourself, and all the emotions that go with it. It's becoming less common to find a virgin heroine and a promiscuous hero falling for one another, but the fantasy still attracts readers. Also, there is a rise in promiscuous heroines who are more experienced than the men. A few times, more so in YA than in adult books, the heroine and hero will both be virgins.
Do you like to read romances with virgin heroines? Do you think an inexperienced heroine and a promiscuous hero creates inequality in romance novels?
