Books › A Tradition of Pride
A Tradition of Pride
First published 1982 · 283 pages
A sultry, slow-burn journey of a guarded woman rediscovering passion against the backdrop of a humid Southern estate.
What it feels like
Stepping into this novel feels like opening a time capsule to the golden era of 1980s category romance, complete with sultry Southern heat and simmering emotional tension. The narrative unfolds at a steady, deliberate pace, focusing heavily on the internal push-and-pull of a heroine trapped between societal expectations and undeniable desire. The mood is thick with unspoken longing and the heavy weight of family legacy, creating an atmosphere that is both nostalgic and intensely dramatic. The prose is straightforward yet deeply invested in the sensory details of its Mississippi setting and the palpable chemistry between its leads. It is a perfect read for those who crave vintage romance where rugged, persistent heroes slowly dismantle the carefully constructed walls of proud, wounded heroines.
- Mood
- sultry
- tense
- nostalgic
- emotionally charged
- Tone
- earnest
- dramatic
- romantic
- traditional
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- duty versus desire · healing from betrayal · weight of family legacy · emotional vulnerability · forbidden attraction
- The writing
- The writing is straightforward and emotionally descriptive, leaning into the atmospheric tropes of classic 1980s romance.
- The arc
- The protagonist moves from a state of guarded, dutiful resignation to a reluctant, passionate awakening.
- Who it's for
- Readers who enjoy vintage category romance with strong Southern settings, brooding heroes, and heroines fighting their own desires.
Content notes
- infidelity
- emotional manipulation
- outdated gender dynamics
About the book
Every novel in this collection is your passport to a romantic tour of the United States through time-honored favorites by America’s First Lady of romance fiction. Each of the fifty novels is set in a different state, researched by Janet and her husband, Bill. For the Daileys it was an odyssey of discovery. For you, it’s the journey of a lifetime. Your tour of desire begins with this story set in Mississippi.
Lara Cochran was happy before Trevor, her charming husband, had turned to other women. But, because divorce is unheard-of in Lara's Mississippi family, she doesn’t want one. She doesn’t want to open her heart to anyone ever again. One disastrous marriage is enough; she is now safely immune from all men. Or so she thinks. Once she meets Rans MacQuade, the rugged and virile manager of her father's Mississippi plantation, she fears she may not be as immune as she had hoped...
Description from Open Library.
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