Five Methods For Giving Romantic Heroines Agency (Brought to you by Emily Henry) by Laurel Osterkamp

Let’s welcome back Laurel Osterkamp as she shares with us “Five Methods For Giving Romantic Heroines Agency (Brought to you by Emily Henry).” Enjoy!

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Thousands of readers on Bookstagram will tell you: spring means a new Emily Henry novel. Personally, I’m hooked.

Her work inspired me to write contemporary romance and has lended the genre a more literary flair.

Currently, I’m reading Great Big Beautiful Life, and I admire how her writing blends tropes with unpredictability.

Emily Henry crafts female main characters who desire love but maintain strong agency.

They are multidimensional and relatable, balancing vulnerability with strength.

For examples of female protagonists who yearn for relationships while remaining fiercely independent, look to Emily Henry’s novels.

Internal Motivations and an Emotional Core: Harriet from Happy Place

In Emily Henry’s 2023 release, Happy Place, Harriet is struggling in every area of her life.

She’s unsure if she wants to be a doctor. 

Her parents don’t understand her and she doesn’t understand them. There’s a rift in her female friendships.

And she secretly broke up with her true-love, Wynn.

So, she must decide what she truly desires, both from life and from love.

Is it companionship, validation, or a sense of belonging?

By pinpointing Harriet’s deepest emotional needs, Emily Henry creates a foundation for her character’s yearning that’s authentic and relatable.

Independence and Strength Outside of Romance: Alice from Big, Beautiful Life

I’m a little more than halfway through Henry’s most recent novel, Big Beautiful Life, but I’ve read enough to know that Alice is super-independent and strong.

Emily Henry does a great job giving Alice a career, hobbies, friendships, and personal goals, showing her as a person with passions, talents, and ambitions that define her identity.

Alice has achieved a lot as a magazine writer, and she navigates the world on her own terms.

Her independence doesn’t diminish her desire for love; instead, she can stand tall even when her heart is vulnerable.

Alice is capable and self-sufficient; her longing for connection becomes more poignant because it’s rooted in a desire to share her life, and not just to escape loneliness.

Vulnerability Balanced with Resilience: Daphne from Funny Story

Daphne, from the 2024 release Funny Story is a great example of balancing vulnerability with resilience.

At the beginning of the novel she’s been dumped by her fiancé and is sort of closed off in how she relates to people.

Yet, Daphne is both yearning and strong, capable of expressing her feelings without growing fragile or dependent.

Emily Henry gives Daphne moments of tenderness, doubt, and longing, but also the capacity to face challenges head-on.

Partnership of Equals: Nora from Book Lovers

Emily Henry begins her 2022 release Book Lovers with her main character Nora explaining that she’s not the plucky, perky type of gal who men scramble to be with.

Rather, she’s intense and driven — the type that men break up with once they’ve found their plucky, perky dream girl.

But Nora is nothing if not capable; her agency is evident in all her interactions and decisions.

Nora initiates conversations, sets boundaries, and expresses her needs clearly, refusing to settle for less than she deserves.

Once Nora meets Charlie, she is an active participant in her own love life. She is Charlie’s equal.

A Character Arc of Personal Growth: Poppy from People We Meet on Vacation

In 2022 Emily Henry released People We Meet on Vacation, which contains her most flawed heroine, Poppy.

Poppy can be oblivious and she’s not always honest with others or with herself. More importantly, she realizes she’s not happy.

But, since Poppy is a nuanced protagonist, she evolves, transforming her experiences into wisdom and self-awareness.

Poppy’s desire for love leads her to confront her fears, break old patterns, and redefine her understanding of happiness.

Emily Henry makes Poppy’s journey satisfying and authentic, demonstrating that love and self-empowerment are not mutually exclusive but can coexist and even enhance each other.

Creating a female main character who yearns for love yet retains her strength and agency involves understanding her internal desires, establishing her independence, balancing vulnerability with resilience, ensuring her relationships are partnerships of equals, and allowing her to grow through her journey.

In Summary

When these elements are woven together thoughtfully, she’ll resonate deeply with readers, offering a compelling blend of longing and empowerment.

That’s why Emily Henry’s protagonists inspire readers to believe in their capacity for love while remaining true to their authentic selves.

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About the Author 

Laurel Osterkamp is from Minneapolis, where she teaches and writes like it’s going out of style. Her short fiction has been featured in Abandon Journal, Idle Ink, Tangled Locks Literary Journal, Bright Flash Literary Journal, and The Metawoker, among other places. Her new novel, The Side Project, was released on November 13th by The Wild Rose Press.

Follow her on Social Media:

Website – https://laurellit.com
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