Charades, various card games and short miniature plays are often described as entertainments for house parties in historical romances. There are also romances set in gambling establishments or where one of the couple is trying to a) earn enough money to survive on, have a Season, etc b) is auctioned off as a prize c) loses their entire portion and/or estate d) needs to be rescued from, etc. I’m sure you get the idea.

Speaking of gambling, it seems to be a requirement that heroes are skilled and adept gamblers. Heroes never have debts they can’t pay and are never so gauche as to be addicted to gambling. Villains, evil guardians, and immature younger brothers just might be however. That’s not really what I want to discuss, though.

I just finished reading a romance where parts of the courtship took place while the couple played games together. I mean really- who knew such a thing as strip dominoes even exists? And let me tell you, I had no idea just how sexy chess could be. I live a sheltered life I guess. Chess is a game my dad and his buddies spent hours over, not something I was particularly interested in watching, truth be told.

How many romances, either contemporary or historical, have you read that have the courtship taking place while the couple plays games? I read one several years ago that had the hero and heroine playing dice games (I think, please correct me if I’m wrong) during their courtship. This is a plot device I find I really like.

If the pair are skilled in the chosen game it gives the author the opportunity for the hero to view the heroine as a capable, thinking person as opposed to simply a vessel for his objectives (lust, heirs, money, etc). Playing games together is a way for them to get to know each other in a slightly unusual setting, one perhaps with more of a neutral tone. I’ve never seen one, but it would be a nice twist to have the heroine teaching the hero for once. Turn the tables on the typical sex roles. Make the hero the one who is slightly out of his depth, slightly uncomfortable.

I hope to find more romances where the couple has an opportunity to get to know each other in slightly less charged setting by playing games together. Besides, it’s fun! And heaven knows there can be altogether too much seriousness some times. Even in romances.

This entry was posted by Amanda on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 6:00 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.