I also find it disturbing that the heroine doesn t give it a passing thought. The heroine has endured emotional and psychological abuse from her mother all her life. The source of that abuse is ultimately revealed as arising from her mother s early incestuous relationship with her uncle which she still regards as a loving relationship. I m starting to worry that we re on a slippery slope, and I for one am willing to take a stand. Listen up, all romance writers.
Incest is the opposite of romance.
I want my sin to be the good clean kind. If a plot requires mention of incest, and I m willing to concede that a plot might, it should never be in complimentary or appealing terms. One positive aspect of romance fiction is that it portrays women in a central, controlling position. In other fiction, the little woman may be relegated to fixing coffee or gazing adoringly at the masterful male character. In romances, on the other hand, his desires, his fortunes are dependant on hers.