A Snapshot of Laurie McBain’s, Lisa Kleypas’s, and Eloisa James’s Depictions of Masculinity in Their Historical Romance Fiction
By Jack Roberts (2025)
In this paper, I will discuss how Laurie McBain (1970s), Lisa Kleypas (1990s-1990s), and Eloisa James (2000s-2010s) depict masculinity in their historical romance fiction. I argue that their male characters are consistently portrayed through a limited and formulaic lens—physically strong, emotionally distant, and often violent—with little character development across the narrative. Drawing on book reviews, bestseller lists, interviews, online forums, and marketing materials, I explore how these portrayals of masculinity function not as dynamic character arcs but as tools in advance heroine-centered plots. While some recent works show exceptions, particularly in James’s later novels, masculine identity in these books remain largely static, secondary and narratively instrumental.
The authors’ male protagonists are consistently described using recurring traits—physically imposing, emotionally distant, and sometimes violent—that will reflect a recognizable pattern across the examined works. The most prominent author I explored, Lisa Kleypas, has written 51 novels with multiple notable appearances on bestseller lists, cementing herself as a top author of her generation.[1] Her stories transcend various settings in multiple decades, but still echo a similar tune when it comes to the characteristics of her heroes. Publishers Weekly proclaimed the hero, Nikki, in Prince of Dreams to be “romantic, dark and brooding” while also “ruthlessly cold and hard”.[2] Publishers Weekly also reviews Kleypas’s Somewhere I’ll Find You and points out the hero, Damon, to be “rich and powerful” while also needing to figure out how to love a woman who also has a career, signalling that Kleypas’s hero is a proponent of a conventional patriarchal society in (what Publishers Weekly calls it) her “formula romance”.[3] The most current author I explored, Eloisa James, is also a giant in the historical romance industry, having made multiple appearances on bestseller lists in this century.[4] Catherine Heloise reviews Say Yes to the Duke by James and abruptly points out that the hero, Devin, sees himself as “cold, emotionless, and unlovable” while the heroine herself also views Damon’s characteristics as a result of “not knowing how to love” and “not recognizing what love looks like”.[5] Heloise not only explores Damon’s masculinity but also his father’s, who “was notorious for his rages”, “verbally abusive,” and often prone to duels.[6] James’s depiction of masculinity is not defined by constant power and violence, but in this case, defined by a cold shoulder to love—at odds with the idea of a vulnerable personality. On her Instagram account, James also advertises her novel, Viscount in Love, with a picture of the cover with a shirtless man and arrows pointing away from him with descriptors such as “hero strips to woo his fiancèe”, “grumpy vs. sunshine”, and “threatens to duel anyone who mocks her”.[7] These descriptions show James’s desire to advertise her hero and his masculinity as violent, grumpy, and a chiseled body. The post leaves no description of the soft or dynamic aspects of the character’s masculinity.
Laurie McBain, though she has only written seven romance novels (her career was cut short due to family complications), is also a New York Times best-selling author with her novel Moonstruck Madness.[8] Though little conclusion can be made from the market’s ideas of her depiction of masculinity, McBain has come out in an interview with the Romantic Times on what has influenced her writing. Kathleen Woodiwiss and specifically The Flame and the Flower had direct impacts on McBain’s writing career inspiring her to start writing and impacting her professional path as an author: “because of The Flame and the Flower, when I completed my first historical novel, Devil’s Desire, I sent it to the publishers of Kathleen Woodiwiss”.[9] The impact of Woodiwiss and other authors such as Georgette Heyer and Mary Stewart also directly influenced her writing style.[10] These influences depict masculinity as strong, powerful, and predatory, with characters similar to Brandon (from The Flame and the Flower) being wealthy, chiseled, bronzed, but problematically (for today’s audiences) perpetuating sexual violence.[11] In McBain’s Devil’s Desire specifically, the hero similarly has an “arrogant” demeanor and a stone-cold heart.[12] While these descriptors that build a sense of masculinity are vibrant, they are analogously one-sided. Rarely do the examined reviews and interviews point out the depth of any male characters, leaving little to be seen with regards to masculinity going beyond aggressive, stark, and strong. Heroes may reveal aspects of their identity throughout the plot to forward the storyline, but these developments (if you can call them that) are not noticeable or important to be mentioned in dialogues concerning the novels above. These authors often develop their ideas of masculinity enough to capture the reader and the heroine, but not enough to move them beyond the cold, strong, and brash demeanor.
Though masculinity may remain consistently steadfast in the sphere of borderline toxicity with these authors, male characters are still used to advance the plots and have impacts on the stories, but rarely do their own character and masculinity develop along with it. Eloisa James champions this dynamic and takes ownership of it herself. In another post on her Instagram page, James posts a video with the caption “POV: Writing a Historical Romance where the hero cuts off an argument with the heroine by saying marriage is the only solution” and also comments on the same post about her love for the marriage is the answer trope.[13] James implies that she enjoys writing male characters that offer practical solutions to issues, barring them from the opportunity for development. Not only does James specifically suggest this, but her own readers also explain the lack of dynamic character development, especially for the heroes in her stories. Readers have described the flaws of her novels as having little to no emotion and being uninteresting, with the only specific mention of male characters being the issue, leading to the conclusion that her readership also views the male characters as lacking and shallow in their character.[14] In Ellen’s review of My Last Duchess, she describes the book as having a “man tries to get reluctant woman to agree to marry him” trope.[15] Even though the review is overall positive, the hero (and the hero’s masculinity) is there to provide a solution to the heroine and her problems, not vice versa.[16] Oftentimes, the role a hero plays in these romances is to present a pragmatic issue to the heroine or to solve an issue previously presented to her. In the same review, Ellen states, “I think the romance also works because it’s clear from the get-go that what holds Ophelia [the heroine] back is not a lack of interest or affection for Hugo [the hero] but fear—fear of changing up her comfortable and stable independent life”.[17] Elyse writes in her review of My American Duchess that “James is really great at writing married couples who think they are in love when they get married, realize it’s more infatuation” and that the hero himself is “sexually infatuated with his wife, but he holds back a part of himself that prevents them from being really intimate”.[18] Both of these reviews point out how James revolves her stories around the heroine with the hero (and his masculinity) undergoing little romantic development and even less personal development, while mostly playing the role of a character meant to interact with the heroine so she may be the one to develop personall and emotionally.
In a 1988 interview, Lisa Kleypas noted how early on in her life she read romances and thought of herself as living the role of the heroine.[19] In her novels, she often focuses on the development of her heroines, similar to James. Publisher Weekly’s review of Midnight Angel highlights how initially a male character is killed to set up the backstory of the heroine, and the hero is both a love interest but also as a means of protection from her past.[20] In another Publisher’s Weekly review of Prince of Dreams, it points out another instance where marriage has a convenient advantage of riches, freedom, and sanctuary for the heroine.[21] Altogether, Kleypas also uses her male characters not as characters who also have their own development, but almost as objects that the heroine can interact with to gain a pragmatic advantage opening her to develop emotionally and romantically herself . Though romance is not lacking in these novels, the reviews and her own experience placing herself in the POV of the heroine leads to the conclusion that Kleypas wrote with the heroine’s story in mind, leaving the hero to be a static character to be used for plot development (rarely with his own character development). McBain also hints at this dynamic in her novels. Affair de Coeur, in their comments on the “Dominick” series, points out how the characters’ lives are “reversibly entangled” and they become “each others’ biggest threat, as well as their only salvation,” leading the pragmatic answer to be a marriage together or a partnership that benefits beyond just a romantic connection.[22] Masculinity, or at least the development of masculinity in terms of plot and character arcs, takes a back seat to pragmatic solutions for the heroine. Going beyond the descriptors of these male characters’ development of masculinity is sparse, while heroes instead push the story forward for the heroine.
However, I will also mention that not all characters these authors write are static and exist only to serve the heroine in her own plot and development. Though irregular, the snapshot these authors provide into the historical romance fiction interpretation of masculinity is not only what I’ve explained above. There are moments where the author strikes a more dynamic masculinity in their heroes. In their review, Introvert Reader writes in Sweet Savage Flame that McBain is not a “bodice-ripper author,” unlike her influences in authors such as Woodiwiss, revealing a divergence from the forceful masculinity that is characteristic of Woodiwiss’s hero in The Flame and the Flower.[23] Kleypas also has some literature that reveals a break in the formula I’ve examined. In the same review of Prince of Dreams, Publishers Weekly mentions that the hero is the one zapped back into the distant past, where he has to deal with the troubles of his past.[24] This allows the hero to be the one undergoing development instead of just having their stereotypical masculinity play a pragmatic solution (whether it is sexual, marital, economic, or hierarchical). Eloisa James presents the most frequent challenges to my earlier arguments. She has multiple instances of readers pointing out her male character’s positive attributes, opening the heroes to a more vulnerable state capable of personal dynamic development. In a Reddit board, readers do offer some affection for the masculinity of her characters and how they are “less toxic” than her earlier works, including the “Pleasures” series.[25] Another poster on the same Reddit board remarked how the characters “almost always have a good arc” where there is a balance and dynamism to both the hero and the heroine.[26]
In examining the works of Laurie McBain, Lisa Kleypas, and Eloisa James, it becomes clear that the depiction of masculinity across their historical romance fiction often follows a consistent and limited formula. Across decades, their male characters tend to be defined by strength, stoicism, and a persistent emotional distance, with little internal development over the course of the narratives. While these heroes frequently serve to advance the plots or support the growth of the heroines, their own masculine identities remain relatively static. McBain’s characters, partially shaped by earlier influences like Woodiwiss, invoke dominance and emotional coldness; Kleypas’s heroes often operate as narrative tools (protectors or providers) rather than fully realized individuals; and James’s portrayals, while occasionally more self-aware or emotionally layered, still frequently use masculinity as a fixed trait rather than a dynamic one. However, there are moments in each author’s work that complicate this pattern, whether through a hero undergoing development, a softening of earlier characteristics, or a shift away from the more rigid portrayals of the past. Ultimately, these novels depict masculinity less as an evolving identity and more as a narrative device that shapes, supports, or challenges the heroine, but rarely transforms itself.
Footnotes
[1] Daisy Maryles, “Suddenly Kleypas,” Publishers Weekly, June 11, 2001, https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20010611/32076-suddenly-kleypas.html.
[2] “Prince of Dreams,” Publishers Weekly, July 10, 1995, 54, Gale Literature: Book Review Index (accessed April 7, 2025), https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A17212690/BRIP?u=duke_perkins&sid=bookmark-BRIP&xid=9095676e.
[3] “Somewhere I’ll Find You,” Publishers Weekly, September 2, 1996, 122, Gale Literature: Book Review Index (accessed April 15, 2025), https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A18635735/BRIP?u=duke_perkins&sid=bookmark-BRIP&xid=587d20b6.
[4] “What You’re Reading: The New York Times Bestseller List,” Times-Picayune, February 6, 2011, 47, accessed May 1, 2025, https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/readex/doc?p=EANX&docref=image/v2%3A1223BCE5B718A166%40EANX-1723963EF7BF08E4%402455599-17235AEC0604C5C6%4046-17235AEC0604C5C6%40.; “New York Times Best Sellers,” Times-Picayune, February 14, 2016, 36, accessed May 1, 2025, https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/readex/doc?p=EANX&docref=image/v2%3A1223BCE5B718A166%40EANX-172C2F106754FA63%402457433-172AEB7D0E95F9D4%4035.
[5] Catherine Heloise, “Say Yes to the Duke by Eloisa James,” Smart Bitches Trashy Books, May 19, 2020, https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/say-yes-to-the-duke-by-eloisa-james/.
[6] Catherine Heloise, “Say Yes to the Duke by Eloisa James”
[7] Instagram, “Post by @EloisaJamesBooks, June 20, 2025,” accessed April 7, 2025, https://www.instagram.com/p/C9aIkvgMioa/.
[8] The New York Times Book Review. “Paperbacks.” The New York Times, 15 May 1977, p. 39. https://www.nytimes.com/1977/02/27/archives/article-9-no-title.html.
[9] Twitter (now X). @robimes. “Laurie McBain was once the second biggest-selling romance author after Woodiwiss.” June 10, 2020, 9:14 p.m. https://x.com/robimes/status/1270576953372876800.
[10] McKellar, K.M. “Laurie McBain.” IndieCat Editorial, July 2, 2023. https://indiecateditorial.substack.com/p/laurie-mcbain.
[11] Woodiwiss, Kathleen E. The Flame and the Flower. New York: Avon, 1972.
[12] McBain, Laurie. Devil’s Desire. New York: Avon, 1975.
[13] Instagram. “Post by @EloisaJamesBooks, March 15, 2025.” Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.instagram.com/p/C5zL16QrpDv/.
[14] Reddit. “Should I Keep Going with Eloisa James?” r/HistoricalRomance. Accessed April 7, 2025.https://www.reddit.com/r/HistoricalRomance/comments/wjiep2/should_i_keep_going_with_eloisa_james/.
[15] Ellen. “My Last Duchess by Eloisa James.” Smart Bitches Trashy Books, October 30 2020. https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/my-last-duchess-by-eloisa-james/.
[16] Ellen, “My Last Duchess by Eloisa James”
[17] Ellen, “My Last Duchess by Eloisa James”
[18] Elyse. “My American Duchess by Eloisa James.” Smart Bitches Trashy Books, 26 January 2016. https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/my-american-duchess-by-eloisa-james/.
[19] Coulditbeseton. “Lisa Kleypas — Interview from November 1988“. Could It Be Seton?, March 6, 2007. https://coulditbeseton.wordpress.com/2007/03/06/lisa-kleypas-1988-interview/.
[20] “Midnight Angel.” Publishers Weekly, December 5, 1994, 71. Gale Literature: Book Review Index (accessed April 7, 2025). https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A15949110/BRIP?u=duke_perkins&sid=bookmark-BRIP&xid=342d5ef9.
[21] “Prince of Dreams.” Publishers Weekly, July 10, 1995, 54. Gale Literature: Book Review Index (accessed April 7, 2025). https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A17212690/BRIP?u=duke_perkins&sid=bookmark-BRIP&xid=9095676e
[22] Goodreads. “Dominick #1, Sabrina und der Herzog” Accessed April 14, 2025. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6925954.
[23] Introvert Reader. “Historical Romance Review: Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain.” Sweet Savage Flame. Accessed April 14, 2025. https://sweetsavageflame.com/historical-romance-review-moonstruck-madness-by-laurie-mcbain/.
[24] “Prince of Dreams.” Publishers Weekly, July 10, 1995, 54. Gale Literature: Book Review Index (accessed April 7, 2025). https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A17212690/BRIP?u=duke_perkins&sid=bookmark-BRIP&xid=9095676e.
[25] Reddit. “Should I Keep Going with Eloisa James?” r/HistoricalRomance. Accessed April 7, 2025.https://www.reddit.com/r/HistoricalRomance/comments/wjiep2/should_i_keep_going_with_eloisa_james/.
[26] Reddit. “Should I Keep Going with Eloisa James?”
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