And in romance fiction particularly, avenging a wrong is rarely a mistake. Retaliation rarely goes sour in a romance unless the hero or heroine must learn to change and grow as a person, and can only achieve this through false retribution or by learning to find forgiveness. The desire for vengeance is a powerful one. As a result, the plots and machinations for revenge can be elaborate. A successful avengement may take years of brooding and plotting.
Revenge is a serious enterprise.
Righting a wrong is a way of simplifying the world removing the blemish that was marring possible perfection. And when the heroine and hero are deadly partners out to extract revenge from each other, or even if one party is innocent, the love story in contrast becomes magnified and offers titillating sexual tension. The first shot will always be returned. Fortunately, for readers, romance heroes and heroines manage to transform the evil apparent into absolute good, offering eternal love to one another rather than years in a psychiatric ward. Books Groups Resources Copyright 1998-2001 by Romantic Times Magazine.