Friday, December 2, 2011

Unwrapping: LAST lines in Romance!

Well, it's December and that means Christmas is nearly upon us. I love everything about Christmas, the music, the lights, the trees, the decorations, and even crabby people because it gives me the chance to get in the last line ... Merry Christmas! No, I don't use Happy Holidays unless I really have to and then only because I have to. But when you see someone crabbing along and you smile at them but you still get a frown, a Merry Christmas usually takes them by surprise and you are able to say you had the best and greatest last line of that quick conversation.  Right?

I've been a part of many a discussion both in real and virtual life about the greatest first lines of books and it's always fun but what about the greatest last lines?

When it comes to romance, or any other genre for that matter but for our purposes - romance ... well, when it comes to a really great read, I usually don't want it to end so that last line is important to me. It may leave me content because the story culminated in a truly happily ever after, or it leaves me with a tear in my eye because it was sweet, sappy and written with lots of love for the characters or best of all, it leaves me wondering if there will be a sequel.  I'm reminded of Billy Crystal's character in Nora Ephron's WHEN HARRY MET SALLY who said he always read the last chapter first in case something happened to him before he finished the book, he'd already know how it ended.


When I think of great last lines, they've got to equal some of the great memorialized last lines like ... GONE WITH THE WIND
"Tomorrow, I’ll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day." –Margaret Mitchell,


Romance novels tend to end with a kiss or some proclamation of love or best of all, a giggle from the reader like the last line of Kerrelyn Sparks' THE SEXIEST VAMPIRE ALIVE ...
"He chuckled. 'I'll lock the door.'"

My favorite Jane Austen last line is from EMMA:

"But, in spite of these deficiencies, the wishes, the hopes, the confidence, the predictions of the small band of true friends who witnessed the ceremony, were fully answered in the perfect happiness of the union." 
You just have to smile at that one. 




Another last line that leaves me with a chuckle and a grin is "There's no fool like an old fool, and I'm one of the oldest, after all."  Terri Garey, DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE


 For an awwww moment, I have to look to Johanna Lindsey. Even though THAT PERFECT SOMEONE wasn't one of her best works, the last line made it worth it ...
"With her loving him so much, whatever made him happy would always make her happy, too. It could be no other way."  

See what I mean .... awwww!

So ... what's your favorite last line of a romance novel?

Happy Reading Everyone and take notice of that last line!

            

No comments: