Mother’s Day started in the 1900’s and today is celebrated around the world as a way to honor motherhood and the sacrifices women make for their children.

Since it’s only a few days away, I thought now would be a great time to celebrate the role of mothers in contemporary romance novels. With a quick brainstorming session, I came up with three main roles that romance heroines often depict, which mirror the roles mothers play in real life as nurturers, protectors, and confidantes.

Let’s get into it!

The Nurturer

The nurturing mother-heroine is likely to overtly show love for her children. She offers unconditional love and a safe haven not only for her children, but other characters such as her romantic partner. Even when she’s stressed and busy, she makes time for her kids because they are her top priority. Through a warm and compassionate nature, she offers support, encouragement, and a strong foundation for growth.

For example, in my novel Audra—a marriage in trouble novel—although her husband, Damon, is an involved father, Audra is the primary caregiver to their three kids, based on an agreement they made early on to have her be a stay-at-home mother. It’s obvious she loves being a mother and homemaker and makes sure the kids are fed healthy meals, do their homework, and tucked into bed at night.

Another example can be seen in J.L. Campbell’s Dissolution, available at Amazon and Kobo. This novel has a secret baby storyline that demonstrates just how far the nurturing, motherly type will go. Sherryn is a wife, mother and businesswoman, and she takes good care of her home and her children. When her husband’s secret life is exposed, although their marriage is on the rocks, Sherryn doesn’t hesitate to embrace the boy that is the result of an unfortunate encounter.

The Protector

Next is the protector mother-heroine. This might be my favorite one because this type of heroine is not the one to play with! She’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect her kid, even if it means going against her romantic partner. These types of mothers are fierce, going to great lengths to shield their children from harm—emotional and physical. Their protective nature often adds a layer of tension to the storylines and shows the lengths a mother will go to in order to safeguard the happiness of her child.

One of my heroines exemplifies that to a tee, and it’s billionaire heiress Ivy Johnson in Unforgettable. In this secret baby romance, after initially walking away when he learned he had a daughter, Lucas returns and makes it clear that he wants to play an active role in her life. As a result, Ivy straight up threatened him. “If you hurt my daughter, if I have to, I will use every last one of [my billions] to make your life a living hell.” Whew, she was not the one to play with about little Katie!

Another heroine who didn’t play about her baby was Renee in Reese Ryan’s The Bad Boy Experiment, a novel with a high school crush and forced proximity storyline. She ended her marriage to a very wealthy man whose family owned a pharmaceutical company. Why? Because her husband treated their autistic son as if he was a disappointment to his family, who were very much concerned about appearances. She was determined to do whatever was necessary to protect him, even if it meant sacrificing what she wanted. In the end, she revived her family farm so that her son and other adults on the spectrum could have a place of employment. Copies available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Confidante

We don’t see mother-heroines as confidantes as much because the children are often young, but they’re no less important. Everyone needs someone they can talk to without judgment, and these heroines provide a listening ear and often offer advice to their children. Their kids are able to express their fears, dreams, and insecurities, and in return they receive guidance and words of wisdom gleaned from years of trial and error. The heroine as a confidante allows her child to be vulnerable and emphasizes the importance of communication and trust in a mother-child relationship.

I think the best example of this in my own catalogue is the novel Do Over. Ella is the heroine in the story, but her relationship with her mother, Sylvie, is what I want to highlight. There’s a point in the novel where Ella confides in her mother, confessing the problems she’d had with her ex before she met her current beau and the hero, Tyrone. Their talk was just what she needed, and Sylvie’s advice and encouraging words gave her strength: “Don’t you ever let any man make you feel like you’re not good enough ever again. You’re better than good enough. And whenever you need me, I am here. Always. I. Am. Here.”

We see the same unconditional love and staunch support in Game Over, an enemies to lovers romance by Ja’Nese Dixon about a single mother and her son’s coach. Because her son confides in her about his desire to play football, and specifically to get on Coach Emmitt’s team, Amber does what she has to do to make that happen. She’s used to that, as a mother, and has set aside her dreams to make his dreams come true. As she put it, “He will not be like me, working low-end jobs, surviving on magic and pure determination.” She wanted better for her son. That’s a mother’s love, isn’t it?

Conclusion

Being a mother is no easy task, and truth be told, most mothers—including the fictional ones—play multiple roles in their children’s lives. We often see all three—nurturer, protector, confidante—in the heroine’s actions. Mothers in romance add depth to the stories beyond the romantic elements and remind us, as readers, of how important and valuable mothers and mother figures in our own lives really are.

To all the moms and mother figures, I hope you feel appreciated and celebrated on your day.

Have a wonderful Mother’s Day! 🌺

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Can you think of other romance novels that show heroines in similar motherly roles?