Guest Post: Nancy Scrofano

A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed Nancy's debut novel, True Love Way, (read the review here) and was so happy when Nancy agreed to guest post on Turning the Pages.  Her topic, Chick Lit Heroines is so awesome because we don't generally see Hero's in chick lit books because, well, they are all mushy and romantic and whatnot!  So, after you read Nancy's choice of heroines, leave me a comment letting me know who YOUR number one Chick Lit Heroine would be... I would really LOVE to know!

My Top 5 Chick Lit Heroines

Aside from Marlo Spencer, the heroine in my debut novel True Love Way who I absolutely adore, the following leading ladies are my favorite main characters in chick lit.

1) Evie Nicholson from Swept Off Her Feet by Hester Browne

Evie is an antiques appraiser in London who loves the past. Evie loves old items that tell a story and keep the memory of the owners alive, regardless of how much the items are worth. She feels like a fish out of water when it comes to her love for antiques, especially with her family. Her mother and her sister, Alice, are professional organizers who pride themselves on being neat, orderly, and practical, which is the opposite of Evie who follows her heart. Evie accepts the chance to visit Scottish castle Kettlesheer for a week to appraise the items in the home. She meets heir, Robert McAndrew, and they don't exactly hit it off, but he might be just the right person to cause her to reevaluate what she truly wants in life. Evie is a character who is not afraid to speak her mind, even if she is a bit different from everyone else. Her passion for antiques and stories from the past is contagious. Evie enthusiastically discovers a world she never knew before in this modern day fairytale.

2) Melissa Romney-Jones from The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne

Melissa has fantastic social skills, but no job. So, she decides to open an agency to help single men who need a woman’s perspective and companionship when shopping and entertaining guests. She doesn’t want to embarrass her family with her new business venture so she calls herself Honey, a more confident version of herself who wears a blonde wig as a disguise. Melissa is a wonderful character because while she’s busy helping everyone else, she’s really helping find herself and figure out who she really is, even if she is convinced at first that Honey is not her at all. She learns important life lessons along the way that can be useful even to people who don’t dress up and pretend to be someone else for a living. Melissa/Honey is witty, charming, and very genuine.

3) Poppy Wyatt from I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

Poppy is engaged to marry Magnus, who is all wrong for her but, of course, she can’t see that. When she loses her engagement ring, she goes into a frenzy trying to find it. Then, her cell phone is stolen. Things couldn’t be worse, but Poppy makes the best of it, especially when she finds a cell phone that someone threw away. It belonged to the assistant to business executive, Sam, and he promptly wants it back. But Poppy refuses to give it back in case someone calls about her ring. What ensues is a comical, unique way of throwing two people together. Poppy is always determined to see the bright side of any situation, which is what makes her so endearing. She isn’t overly optimistic, though, to the point where she would seem unrealistic. She’s upbeat and hilarious yet down-to-earth too, which makes you love her even more.

4) Abigail Wood from A Girl Like You by Gemma Burgess

Abigail finds herself single again after breaking up with her boyfriend of seven and a half years when she finally realized that he was not right for her. She quickly discovers that she doesn’t quite know how to be single. Meeting and dating new men is incredibly stressful for her, which only adds to her fears of ending up alone. She moves in with Robert, a friend of her sister’s fiancé. Abigail and Robert become friends, and he becomes somewhat of a dating coach to her. When Abigail falls hard for one of Robert’s best friends, a lot of unexpected feelings come to the surface as Abigail tries to figure out who is really the right man for her. Abigail’s world really jumps off the pages and she and her friends seem like friends anyone could have in real life. She is an honest, realistic, believable character who will make readers root for her. Her vulnerability is endearing, and her ability to pick herself back up again is inspiring. Plus, Abigail’s journey is hilarious yet heartfelt.

5) Lara Lington from Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Lara Lington is visited by the spirit of her great aunt, Sadie, and her life is turned upside down in the best way possible. Even though Lara and Sadie don't agree on everything, they encourage each other and form such a strong friendship through a series of wild adventures. Lara learns a lot from Sadie, but most importantly she allowsherself to learn from Sadie. Lara is open to the possibility of Sadie, even though she doesn’t quite understand how or why Sadie is appearing. Lara is a quirky heroine who isn’t afraid to be unique. She will definitely make you laugh and cry as you follow along on her journey.

Author Bio

Nancy Scrofano is the author of True Love Way and writes book reviews for a prestigious book review magazine. Additionally, she is the founder and managing editor of The Chick Lit Bee, a book blog that promotes and celebrates women’s fiction, and Good Humor Girl, a women’s entertainment blog. Nancy is at work on her next novel. For more information, please visit http://www.nancyscrofano.com.