In a romance, before you show me the love, you gotta show me the conflict. The HEA only means something if the hero and heroine have to work hard for it. Never is this effort more apparent than when they physically clash during a confrontation in the opening chapter of a story (e.g., they are military soldiers defending a territory or are on a mission of some kind).
Whenever I encounter a physical fight scene between the hero and heroine, I have a number of reactions. The first is awe upon witnessing a heroine who is skilled in the use of weapons and hand-to-hand combat. The second is a sense of empowerment as I usually root for the heroine to win because I’m eager to see how she’d outwit a more physically powerful opponent. The third is anticipation—I relish the tension of being unsure about who will be victorious. This is especially delicious when the hero is not ridiculously out of proportion to the heroine’s size and I can be assured of a fight between equally matched warriors.
Recently, I read two books that featured intense physical fisticuffs between the hero and heroine. The first was Nathalie Gray’s AGENT PROVOCATEUR. The second was C.J. Barry’s UNMASKED. Both stories feature depictions of intense, unflinchingly portrayed fight scenes between the hero and heroine. Not only that, but they continue to express conflict through physical altercations well after they first meet. I enjoyed the consistency of such characterization because it carried the conflict through to future scenes rather than just being a story complication. Plus, especially in the case of action adventure science fiction romance stories, I’d expect that when the story calls for combat, an author will depict it with a certain level of no-holds-barred realism.
Naturally, some of the physical entanglements in the above stories gave rise to sexual tension. I enjoyed that aspect as well, but what really interests me about physical combat between heroes and heroines is the fact that it shows what’s at stake and how far the characters are willing to go to protect what’s important to them. Also, when they start fighting each other, their whole relationship is at stake. I mean, what’s more nail-biting for a reader than the threat of the hero or heroine seriously injuring or even killing his/her One True Love? For me, therein lies the true appeal: Can they find a non-violent way to resolve their conflict so we can all enjoy their HEA?
That’s my take. What are your thoughts about heroes and heroines who engage in physical combat with each other? What elements contribute to an effective portrayal of such fight scenes? Can you recommend other romances featuring these types of encounters?
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I’m not a big fan of it because as a PE teacher, I know how much stronger men are than women. On the other hand, we had a guest speaker at one of our local RWA chapter meetings and she gave us lots of examples of ways women could try to even the size/strength thing. She made many realistic points and mainly she said a woman’s best bet is to take a man by surprise. A physical confrontation from between a man and female would have to be carefully written to not take me out of the story.
“My name is Vlad Taltos and this is the story of how I fell in love with the woman who killed me.”
It’s a very common trope, going back to at least the 1600s and the Ballad of Robin Hood and Maid Marian. Probably farther.
“But Robin Hood, hee himself had disguised,
And Marian was strangly attir’d,
That they provd foes, and so fell to blowes,
Whose vallour bold Robin admir’d,
They drew out their swords, and to cutting they went,
At least an hour or more,
That the blood ran apace from bold Robins face,
And Marian was wounded sore.”
(As with every other ballad, he invites the stranger to join his band)
The average woman is 5′5″. The average man is 5′9″. There are ways to reduce the height difference, to give her special training and such.
I like the fight, if it’s done well. I’ve never had occasion to write one, but it could be interesting to try.
I had a lot of fun having my main character spar in Beyond the Shadows. They are a confrontational couple, and when they act out their mutual battle of wills in a physical arena, it is a natural draw to the sparks that do fly between them in bed.
That said, sparring is different from an actual battle. A real fight would have to be handled differently.
I like a little combat. I don’t like it when one of the characters comes off funny because of the fight, like the hero seems patronizing. “Awww, she’s like a feisty little kitten.” Or the heroine is so hardened she doesn’t seem like a real capable woman in a fight, but a character in a video game.
And if you’ve got a character capable of killing demons/vampires/alien invaders she should be able to hold her own against a man.
I love it.
Hey, if the girl’s a blackbelt, she’s going to whoop the boy every day of the week.
Miyagi say, “Not matter who stronger. Matter who smarter.”
I’m with you Heather… if the woman is a warrior herself, I don’t mind a little fisticuffs with the hero. Your example of UNMASKED is perfect. They spar a lot, both physically and verbally, and it just heightens the tension beautifully.
I like a man and woman who fight side by side as shieldmates not enemy combatants. A fight between the hero and heroine might work as the first scene for me, but once they’ve begun a relationship (even a reluctant one) I’d rather see physical confrontation between the h/h go away. I can see them as sparring partners to keep each other in shape, but if they have a physical confrontation whenever they fight, it feels more like a dysfunctional and borderline abusive relationship rather than a romantic one.
I love this trope.
Frankly, though a man may be stronger, I usually have mine armed better. LOL.
Let’s face it. The war of words between the sexes has been going on forever. My absolute favorite scenes EVER is from “The Taming of the Shrew”
“If I be waspish beware my sting.”
“My remedy, then, is to pluck it out.”
“Ay if the fool finds where it lies.”
“Who knows not where a wasp carries its sting? In his tail.”
LOL!!!!! LOVE that kind of interchange.
Susan, reality certainly hovers over such scenes for the very reason you mention. I find when these scenes are done well the author has created believable worldbuilding details that account for the heroine’s ability to engage in combat with the hero. Like, she knows a special kind of kung fu and has years of training. Crucial stuff to include.
Angelia, thanks for that quote. I’ve never read any version of Robin Hood so I didn’t know about that exchange. Gosh, I’d love to see that scene on film—was that in any of the movie versions, does anyone know?
Jess, spot on. Chun Li (Street Fighter) is cool but I’d like her more if she were a well-rounded character in a book or movie. I think I enjoyed the scenes in the books I mentioned so much because each story had its own level of realism and took the time to explore the emotional impact of the confrontations.
Kimber An, your Miyagi quote (!) exemplifies why a character arc is so important.
Thanks for reading, Rebecca! Heightens the tension, exactly—what you said!
Francesca, thanks for commenting. I’m definitely thinking of situations where the confrontation plays out its course in the context of war or during a mission where they are working (at first) toward opposing goals. I agree, once the relationship begins, they need to find other ways of resolving conflict.
Another cool excerpt! Thanks, Jennifer.
As the girl above said, size doesn’t matter. Most girls are physically smaller than most boys, but it doesn’t mean weaker or less capable in a fight. It’s just different.
I was in the army for 13 years, and even if I was smaller than half of them and no black belt, I still could hold my own when I had to. In a training op I once made a guy *fly* out of the truck when he refused to let me search it. Guys are top-heavy, once you have the top going, the rest will follow. LOL
LOVE heroes and heroines who fight. Love the tension it creates, the “what if”, the added conflict. I don’t mind if/when they team up and fight the baddies, but why not make it interesting, eh.
A topic near and dear to my heart! I was referred over here because I wrote a post yesterday at the Ruby-Slippered Sisterhood. about fight scenes where I described how they should be structured like love scenes — in terms of POV, turning point, and setting up what’s at stake.
When the fight is between the hero and heroine, even better!
Conflict between heroine and hero is an old trope and doesn’t challenge stereotypes. Fighting back to back, an acknowledgement of equality and brother-like trust that transcends traditional gender polarities, is much better both in imagined and real life. In this way love becomes subversive and crosses long-established arbitrary boundaries. Otherwise, it merely serves the status quo.