The Rugged Side of Romance

by Laura Strickland

 

Why do we love Western Romance? It isn’t always dressed up all pretty, like those Regencies, where even the rakish hero wears ruffles and diamonds. It isn’t particularly witty, like the dialogue in those Romantic Comedies, where the hero and heroine toss clever barbs at each other. It doesn’t always keep you guessing, like a Cozy Mystery. So why are we drawn again and again to a good tale from the west?

I’m sure every reader (or writer) has her/his own reasons. But I’m here to propose that the love of the rugged has something to do with it. In a Western Romance, the setting is rugged—saloons instead of ballrooms, ranches instead of the townhouses. The wide-open prairie invites our hearts and our imaginations to expand all the way to the horizon. Life for our characters is hard, and as we immerse ourselves in their minds and their lives, we begin to wonder if we could have embraced such an existence, one honed down to the bare bones of survival.

And then there are the heroes—give me a rugged hero any day of the week. Hard-bitten sheriffs. Outlaws. Lumberjacks and mountain men. Men who know how to break a wild stallion, and defend their home against raiders. Men who can build a log cabin with their own hands. Hard-working, hard-fighting, buckskin-wearing men who still believe in honor, even if the pursuit of it has taken them far from their former homes. Rugged men who nevertheless know how to be tender with a woman in their arms.

No, the world of the West isn’t pretty. It isn’t easy. But it calls to something within us, an ancient spirit perhaps, that responds and stands up strong, just like the wonderful heroines in these stories. Yes, we may whisper—I could have done it! I could have been one of those brave, daring souls, and seized my happiness on the rugged side of romance.


Comments

  1. Sarita LeoneMay 12, 2021 at 7:40 AM

    I love this post, Laura! I agree, I love the ruggedness of the old west. All of it--the setting, characters, way of life...all a challenge but with beauty and romance possible despite the rugged times.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anna Taylor SweringenMay 12, 2021 at 2:28 PM

    You nailed it. The challenge of ruggedness and eventually making those rough places plain.

    ReplyDelete
  3. MaryanneMay 13, 2021 at 1:02 AM

    Wow!!! What a line :)
    "Hard-working, hard-fighting, buckskin-wearing men who still believe in honor, even if the pursuit of it has taken them far from their former homes. Rugged men who nevertheless know how to be tender with a woman in their arms."

    ReplyDelete
  4. Linda Carroll-BraddMay 13, 2021 at 10:54 AM

    Your post is great. I learned my love of the Old West from my dad who read tons of westerns and watched them on TV.

    ReplyDelete

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